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Ebola: No ZMapp For Spanish Priest In Serious Condition

An elderly Spanish priest, in a serious condition after being infected in Sierra Leone, will not receive the experimental drug ZMapp because world supplies are … Continue reading Ebola: No ZMapp For Spanish Priest In Serious Condition


Spanish priest

Spanish priestAn elderly Spanish priest, in a serious condition after being infected in Sierra Leone, will not receive the experimental drug ZMapp because world supplies are exhausted, Madrid health authorities said on Monday.

ZMapp was used to treat several Ebola patients who recovered. Its use is part of a push by drug manufacturers to devise a cure or a vaccine for the disease, which has killed about 48 percent of those infected in the current epidemic.

Manuel Garcia Viejo, 69, was taken to Madrid’s Carlos III hospital at about 0200 GMT after he was repatriated.

Canadian drugmaker, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp, said on Monday that U.S. and Canadian regulators have authorized the use of its Ebola treatment in patients who have confirmed or suspected infections.

The Vancouver-based company said its treatment, TKM-Ebola, has been administered to patients on an emergency basis and the repeat infusions have been well-tolerated.

Meanwhile, independent health advisers to the WHO have assessed that there should be no general ban on travel or trade with countries where the virus has struck, but some airlines have maintained suspensions on flights to affected areas.

The WHO and other agencies say this hampers aid efforts and the ability of experts to reach victims. “The (WHO Emergency) Committee strongly reiterated that there should be no general ban on international travel or trade,” WHO said.