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In the midst of the second deadliest outbreak of the Ebola virus, there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. First, here's what's been going on. An Ebola outbreak was declared last summer in the Democratic Republic of Congo. That's where the disease was first identified in 1976. And the outbreak that started last year was at least the 10th one since then in the DRC.
One year later, more than 2,700 people in all have been infected and more than half of them have died. There's no cure for Ebola. The virus' symptoms usually include fever, body aches, stomach pain, vomiting and bleeding. And without extensive protective gear, anyone in close contact with someone who's infected is at risk. So what's this silver lining? There are two new medical treatments available to Ebola patients and some doctors say they're highly effective. On average, Ebola kills half the people it infects. But among 500 Ebola patients who received the new drug treatments, the death rate was between 29 % and 34%. And the news gets better.
For patients who were treated early enough with these drugs, researchers say the death rate drops to between 6% and 11%. So scientists believe the drugs show a lot of promise in moving toward a cure. Over the past four decades, the Ebola virus has devastated communities and fueled fear across central and western Africa.
