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CDC/WHO recommend following basic interventions to treat Ebola
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Currently, there is no FDA-approved vaccine or medicine available to treat Ebola virus, but the CDC recommends for the symptoms and complications of Ebola to be treated as they appear.
The CDC recommends following basic interventions that, when used early, may significantly improve survival rates:
- Provide IV fluids and balance electrolytes;
- Maintain oxygen status and blood pressure;
- Treat other infections if/when they occur.
The recovery process of Ebola depends upon the supportive care a patient receives, as well as the patient’s immune response.
Although it is known that patients who recover from Ebola develop antibodies against the infection that endure for at least 10 years, it remains unknown if those who recover are immune for life or if they may become infected with a different species of Ebola. Long-term complications, such as joint and vision problems, may also occur.
Experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola are currently under development.
WHO has pooled the best available evidence and garnered support to accelerate the development and testing of vaccines, therapies and diagnostics.
Specifically, there are two vaccines — chimpanzee adenovirus serotype 3 (ChAD3-ZEBOV) and recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV-ZEBOV) — currently being tested across Europe, the United States, Canada, Kenya, Gabon and Mali, and they are expected to go into late phase trials during early 2015. If results are positive, the vaccines may be available by mid-2015.
Additional information may be found at these websites:
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/treatment/index.html
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/