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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 28, 2014 2:32 PM IST
A new mobile telephone based mapping service has been created in a bid to track Ebola and better help communities hit by the virus in West Africa, developers said today. The system, a collaboration between technology giant IBM, mobile telephone companies and academics, allows people in affected areas to send free text messages about Ebola to track problems and trends, with the program mapping the exact location from where it is sent. (Read: 8 tips to prevent Ebola infection)
'It has already brought to light specific regions with growing numbers of suspected Ebola cases which require urgent supplies like soap and electricity, as well as faster response times for body collection and burials,' IBM said. The company claims it can create a range of maps to track needs and problems, to better allow health workers and governments tackle them. (Read: What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?)
'We saw the need to quickly develop a system to enable communities directly affected by Ebola to provide valuable insight about how to fight it,' IBM Research Africa's chief scientist Uyi Stewart said in a statement. 'Using mobile technology, we have given them a voice and a channel to communicate their experiences directly,' Stewart said. More than 10,000 people have contracted the deadly virus in west Africa, according to the latest World Health Organization figures. (Read: How the Ebola virus spreads in humans)
Why Ebola virus is mutating rapidly?
A recent research related to the Ebola virus disease (EVD) states that the Ebola virus is rapidly mutating, making it difficult to diagnose and treat. A study conducted on the initial patients being infected with the virus in Sierra Leone revealed more than 400 genetic modifications of the Ebola virus, which might prove detrimental for the ongoing treatment measures but also to the vaccines that are under clinical trials for future treatment of the Ebola virus.
The Researchers at the Broad Institute in Massachusetts and Harvard University warn that the Ebola virus is constantly undergoing mutation. The findings show that the future treatment options including vaccines as well as diagnosing of the disease will be very difficult and less effective as mutations will continue. As of now, the researchers have analysed around 99 Ebola viral genomes. Since the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in March, more than 1550 people have died of the Ebola virus disease. Earlier in August (24th), a new viral strain of the Ebola virus different from the one being observed in West Africa was detected in those from Democratic Republic of Congo, posing threat to million of lives all over the world. Read more about Ebola virus is mutating rapidly say scientists
With inputs from PTI
Photo source: Getty images
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