A glimmer of hope, finally

For the first time, a combination of an effective vaccine and two drugs that seem effective offers hope to Ebola victims

There could be a cure for the deadly Ebola virus which has plagued Africa since the 1970s. The disease was first seen in 1976, in a town close to the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Almost simultaneously, there was an outbreak in South Sudan about 1,000 km away.

The virus has several strains. Most are dangerous to humans. It’s believed to have been first transmitted by a bite from a fruit bat. It also infects monkeys, pigs and apes and people have been infected by eating meat from infected animals. Ebola causes fever, colds,