The course of Ebola in the American doctor who was infected with the disease has taken a 'slight turn for worse', said his Christian aid agency Thursday.
Kent Brantly and another American missionary worker, Nancy Writebol, "are in stable but grave condition," said a statement from Samaritan's Purse, the US group for which Brantly worked.
Ebola Virus Disease
Ebola is caused by a virus via direct contact with body fluids or infected blood. Scientists have identified five types of Ebola or Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus.
Advertisement
"Dr. Brantly took a slight turn for the worse overnight," it said.
The group did not elaborate further on Brantly's condition.
It said that when an experimental serum arrived in the capital, Monrovia, on Wednesday, there was only enough for one person and Brantly had asked for it to be given to Writebol.
![Ebola Fighters Face Fatigue and Fear]( "Ebola Fighters Face Fatigue and Fear")
Daily burden of exhaustion, shortage of staff and fear for themselves over the deadly virus and the problems faced by doctors, nurses and hospital workers fighting Ebola epidemic in west Africa.
"Even as he battles to survive Ebola, this heroic doctor is still focused on the well-being of others," said the statement.
It also noted that Brantly, 33, had been given a unit of blood from a 14-year-old boy who survived Ebola because of his care.
"The young boy and his family wanted to be able to help the doctor who saved his life," it said.
The current outbreak of Ebola is the largest in history and has killed 729 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Liberia, the World Health Organization said.
The virus can be fatal in up to 90 percent of cases, though this outbreak has killed about 60 percent of those infected.
On Tuesday, the outbreak claimed the life of Umar Khan, 43, a top doctor in Sierra Leone and the west African nation's sole virologist.
Source: AFP
It said that when an experimental serum arrived in the capital, Monrovia, on Wednesday, there was only enough for one person and Brantly had asked for it to be given to Writebol.
Ebola Fighters Face Fatigue and Fear
Daily burden of exhaustion, shortage of staff and fear for themselves over the deadly virus and the problems faced by doctors, nurses and hospital workers fighting Ebola epidemic in west Africa.
Advertisement
"Even as he battles to survive Ebola, this heroic doctor is still focused on the well-being of others," said the statement.
It also noted that Brantly, 33, had been given a unit of blood from a 14-year-old boy who survived Ebola because of his care.
"The young boy and his family wanted to be able to help the doctor who saved his life," it said.
The current outbreak of Ebola is the largest in history and has killed 729 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Liberia, the World Health Organization said.
The virus can be fatal in up to 90 percent of cases, though this outbreak has killed about 60 percent of those infected.
On Tuesday, the outbreak claimed the life of Umar Khan, 43, a top doctor in Sierra Leone and the west African nation's sole virologist.
Source: AFP
Ebola Discoverer Claims He Would Sit Next to Victim on Train
Outbreak of Ebola unlikely to trigger a major epidemic outside the region, says the scientist who helped discover the Ebola virus, adding that he would happily sit next to an infected person.
Advertisement
African States and WHO to Launch $100 Ebola Response PlanPresidents of West African countries suffering the world's worst ever Ebola outbreak meet the Head of WHO to launch a $100 million emergency joint response plan. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Tropical Disease News
The viral infection of monkeypox has now spread to five provinces in Indonesia, said authorities.
Mpox, previously recognized as Monkeypox, has existed in human circulation since 2016, preceding the 2022 worldwide health emergency it initiated.
Gut bacteria composition is linked to a higher risk of severe malaria and may aid in developing new approaches to prevent severe malaria and its mortality.
Indonesia's Health Ministry is on high alert due to 14 confirmed monkeypox cases since its first detection on October 13.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) in Cambodia has reported the first Zika virus case in the country since 2016.