Ebola: Canada offers 1000 dose of experimental vaccine to Africa

The Canadian Public Health Agency has offered to release 1000 dose of a made-in-Canada experimental Ebola virus vaccine known as VSV-EBOV which has never been tested on humans but has shown to be effective in the treatment of the disease in animals.

In a statement released yesterday August 12th, the Canadian Health Minister Rona Ambrose said the World Health Organization's Director general, Margaret Chan, has approved of the donation. 

The Minister also revealed that Canada will be donating $185,000 to the World Health Organization for the prevention and control of the deadly virus in Africa. Canada has only 1500 of the experimental vaccine and would be sending 1000 of it to Africa. Continue...

"I was pleased to offer the experimental vaccine developed by Canadian researchers as a global resource to help fight this outbreak," she said, adding that between 800 and 1,000 doses would be donated to the WHO.

The Minister in the statement added that "Canada feels this experimental vaccine is a global resource, so in response we are sharing it with the international community, while keeping a small supply in Canada."

The news comes hours after the World Health Organization said a panel of experts advised that it would be ethical to use untested drugs and vaccines in this raging epidemic, which is several times larger than any previous outbreak.

Ebola scare - Passengers protect themselves

Passengers, wearing protective face masks and hand gloves push troleys loaded with personal effects upon arrival at the Murtala Mohammed Airport.

Passenger Collapses & Dies at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos

A Nigerian man who was getting ready to board a flight from Lagos to Accra collapsed and died yesterday at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).

The man, who was identified as Akunne Osei, was waiting to collect the Yellow Card from airport health officials when he collapsed, Vanguard reports.

Osei was based in Ghana but had visited Lagos for business transactions. According to reports, he intended to return to Accra for medical treatment.

Speaking about the incident, General Manager, Corporate Communication, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Yakubu Dati, said:

“The passenger, Mr. Akunne Osei, took ill on Saturday, August 9 and started stooling. When the situation got worse, he called his doctor in Accra who instructed him to return to Ghana immediately for further treatment.

“During boarding formalities for his return trip to Accra, at the MMIA, Mr. Osei, who had become weak was subjected to Ebola virus test by port health officials, the result of which was negative.

“No further attention was paid to him after his Ebola virus result read negative but the passenger later slumped and died around the port health office.”

Spanish priest infected with Ebola in Liberia dies in hospital

The 75 year old Spanish priest who was infected with the Ebola virus in Liberia and evacuated to Spain to get better treatment has died, a Madrid spokeswoman from Madrid Health authorities said this morning.

Fr. Miguel Pajares, who was airlifted from Liberia on August 7 after contracting the disease while working for a non-governmental organization in the African country started using the experimental drug, Zmapp last Saturday 9th August but sadly lost the battle to the deadly virus. He was being treated at Carlos III hospital Madrid where he had been quarantined since his return from Liberia.

This will be the first European that has died from the recent outbreak of the deadly virus.

How Lagos nursing mother got infected with Ebola virus - doctor

A medical doctor has described how a nursing mother who is one of the confirmed cases of the Ebola virus in Lagos contracted the disease while attending her antenatal care at First Consultant Hospital in Obalende, Lagos where the first victim of Ebola virus in Nigeria, Patrick Sawyerr, died. The lady was confirmed to have the deadly disease after testing positive at the NNPC staff clinic on Muri Okunola street in the Victoria Island area of Lagos.

Speaking anonymously with Punch, the doctor said;

'The lady attended ante-natal at First Consultant prior to the arrival of the Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer. She was delivered of her baby at the hospital after which she was discharged. A few weeks later, Mr. Sawyer came around and was attended to by health workers. He was first treated for malaria, then typhoid, before there was high index of suspicion. He tested positive for Ebola and died. Then the woman, who gave birth at the hospital came back to the hospital for her baby’s immunization. The nurses who attended to Sawyer also attended to her. When she visited the place again last week, she discovered the place had been shut down for proper fumigation as a means of control against Ebola.” he said. Continue...

Seeing that the hospital has been shut down, the lady who had started showing signs of fever proceeded to the NNPC staff clinic which was close by.

'She was first treated for Malaria. However, after some medical tests, there was a high suspicion of Ebola haemorrhagic fever. On Friday, the Lagos State’s emergency response team on Ebola virus came around and took her to the Infectious Diseases Hospital,” he added.

The management of the hospital after confirming she had the deadly virus immediately shut down the hospital indefinitely.

Confirming the doctor's report, the Medical Officer of Health, Iru-Victoria Island Local Council Development Area, Dr. Wale Akeredolu, said the woman's baby has been quarantined and is under surveillance 

“The baby has also been quarantined to see if after the incubation period of two to 21 days, she would manifest the symptoms of Ebola.” he said