The new Ebola death toll count is now at 932, with the infected population count up to 1700 now.
This morning, additional Ebola outbreaks have arisen as there have been new deaths due to the deadly virus and those who have traveled to West Africa and back to countries such as the United States and Saudi Arabia, in particular.
While Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, two Samaritan’s Purse missionaries who contracted Ebola, are being treated with serum, there is a new potential breakthrough for future Ebola outbreaks. It’s name? a string of letters and numbers for now: WY3161.
The new solution is a compound that prevents viruses from Ebola, as it has been tested on green monkey cells and found to be effective. This new find comes from a group of researchers at Auburn University, who are confident about what WY3161 could do for future Ebola outbreaks. Ebola, they say, blocks the body’s immune system from activating as it should and trying to rid the body of the foreign invader. WY3161 could very well undo this blocking effect – not for Ebola virus outbreaks only, but also other viruses as well. “In the future, what we learn from how viruses turn off the immune system is going to open up these other 10 or 12 categories. There may be leads there,” said Auburn University Chemistry Professor Dr. Steward Scheneller.
WY3161 is only in testing now, and is only known by its chemical name “WY3161,” but it could very well be the breakthrough that many are looking for. With the continued outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, and a number of doctors and new patients contracting the deadly disease, an Ebola virus fighter of the WY3161 kind is highly needed. Hopefully, the World Health Organization will continue to pledge more than just $100 million so that this compound can make it to market quickly. When it comes to the lives of human beings, no price is too high.
