Posted on 10/18/2014 1:22:30 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
As Ebola spreads out of control in West Africa, the World Health Organization reports a black market in blood from Ebola survivors. The epidemic is killing up to 70 percent of those who get sick, but the thousands who have survived have blood teeming with antibodies that protect them against infection again.
Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly has donated serum to three other patients — fellow medical missionary Dr. Rick Sacra, NBC camera operator Ashoka Mukpo and Dallas nurse Nina Pham. No one knows if it’s helped, but in theory Brantly’s antibodies should have kick-started their immune responses.
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Because there’s no specific cure for Ebola, people are asking why not make blood available. Researchers in Texas say there may be an unexpected source: people with silent Ebola immunity.
“There is limited evidence from past outbreaks that suggests there probably are quite a few people who get exposed, who get infected, without ever developing symptoms and without ever developing illness but they develop immunity,” said Lauren Ancel Meyers, a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at The University of Texas at Austin....
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
The Journal of Immunology had an article that showed there was some enhanced immunity against Ebola with those that have been vaccinated against rabies. The challenges were only in primates, no human subjects have been tested....yet.
capitalism & free enterprise at work:
1 million dollars for a pint of my blood.
Blood for sale.Just in time for Halloween
If the blood transfusion is effective, there should be an ever larger group of survivors to donate blood.
Oh, goodie. The whole family but for the youngest had the rabies series fifteen years ago, and my oldest daughter just had the complete series again.
So she’s the one we’ll send out to forage. :) I guess the dog can go too.
Muggles...
I have been vaccinated for rabies actually, what kind of money are we talking about? lol, but kinda serious; free enterprise like you said....
What about those of us with 80 proof blood?
In Sierra Leone, the United Nations is training survivors to help sick children, who often suffer through illness with no one to touch or comfort them.So it shouldn’t be a total loss; anyone who survives the ordeal of Ebola should be recruited as a nurse’s aide at an RN pay grade, as an Ebola specialist.But far from importing Ebola cases here as Obama insanely intends, we export our Ebola cases to West Africa - where the survivors to be trained as specialists are numerous - almost one for every two past Ebola deaths. Along with our Ebola cases, we send money to pay those survivor-specialists, and we send protective gear and disposables to enable West Africa to become a center of excellence in treatment. We don’t need to be the place where people go to get treated for Ebola.
I guess I’m out of luck. My ancestors are from Ireland and Germany.
I’m willing to take that precaution.
Fava beans ... chianti...
That’s the first good news I’ve heard about this subject. Thanks!
I’m not saying we’re immune, obviously.
I understand. Still, with what this disease threatens, it’s good to have at least a modicum of hope.
I guess the GSD will be okay.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.