Anti-Ebola vaccine developed in Russia’s Novosibirsk to undergo clinical tests

Clinical tests of anti-Ebola vaccine developed by the Novosibirsk-based Vector state research centre of virology and biotechnology will begin in August, Valery Mikheyev, Vector’s acting director general, said on Thursday.

"We have several variants. Work is underway. Some of the variants are ready. We will soon submit them for clinical testing. One of the preparations is ready, two or three more will be ready soon," he told journalists on the sidelines of the 3rd international forum of technological development Technoprom-2015 being held in Novosibirsk on June 4-5.

He said his centre was supposed to yield vaccine variants in August. "We will chose the most efficient vaccine to launch into production," he added.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the death toll from the current Ebola outbreak has reached in West Africa exceeded 11,140 and the number of those infected was over 27,13o as of June 1.

The World Health Organization describes Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever) as "a severe, often fatal illness, with a case fatality rate of up to 90%." Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. The infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. The incubation period is 2 to 21 days. There is no known cure or vaccine for the disease. The only treatment offered is "supportive intensive care.".