Welcome to all new members of MEDSOC September 2014!
The Ebola crisis in West Africa has attracted a lot of media
attention over the eight months, but only recently has it made major headlines
with the infection of a British volunteer nurse Will Pooley who recovered from
the disease with the help of the new and largely untested drug ZMapp. This has
of course sparked controversy, as no West African patients have yet received
the drug. Although this has largely been due to lack of availability and the
fear of negative repercussions of using experimental drugs on those who
possibly lack the education, or are too young, to give informed consent to use
it, it has brought the question of who deserves the most cutting edge
treatments to light.
The Ebola Virus enters cells by attaching using minute
“spikes” on its outer surface and forcing the cell to engulf it. This is fast
acting and doesn’t normally leave the immune system time to respond. When the
virus has replicated inside the body, it causes severe abdominal pains, high
fever, and lack of appetite, weakness and sore throats. Victims usually die
within twelve days, although almost half manage to fight the disease in the
current outbreak. This outbreak has
claimed more lives than all the previous out breaks combined. And with ZMapp
not due to be tested until this winter, it will sadly claim more yet. 