[U] With Another Small Flare Up Of Ebola In Africa, Merck's Zaire Strain Vaccine Likely To See Renewed Use In The Congo

UPDATED: 05.11.18 @ 4 AM EDT -- Sadly there are now 11 confirmed cases, and the first fatality -- from this new flare-up. And Mr. Trump has cut $250 million of funding for Ebola relief this week, calling it. . . wasteful. I've made that angle an entirely new post, above. What sort of a soul-less "primitive in chief" does such things? [End, updated portion.]

This is hard news to read -- and report. But tonight, another outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has been confirmed in the northwest corner of what used to be called simply the Congo (now known more formally as the Democratic Republic of the Congo). There had been no reports of the virus in nearly a year, in all of Africa -- so these two confirmations are. . . disheartening. [Even so, philosophically speaking, we know that viral life, like all life, finds a way. . . and it has, again.]

As difficult as this news is -- of two new cases -- there is reason to be hopeful. This time around (like last time in 2016-17), and unlike 2014. . . we have a ring vaccination strategy in place at WHO, with the still largely pro bono efforts (no FDA approval means no revenue, either) of the vaccine professionals at Merck -- as a joint effort of Westpoint, and in the Research Triangle (IIRC). Here is a bit, from CBS this evening (the WHO is not yet formally reporting it -- on its website):

. . . .Congo's government on Tuesday declared a new outbreak of Ebola in the country's rural northwest, after two cases of the deadly virus were confirmed in Bikoro. Congo's Health Ministry said that of the five samples sent to the National Institute of Biological Research in Kinshasa, two came back positive for the Zaire strain of Ebola in the country's Equateur Province.

The samples were gathered after the Equateur Province Health Ministry notified Kinshasa on May 3 of some 21 cases of a hemorrhagic fever in the Ikoko Impenge area, including 17 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Congo's government. There are various hemorrhagic fevers.

A team was sent by the WHO and Doctors Without Borders over the weekend to investigate and strengthen coordination. The five new cases were then identified and sent to the laboratory, Congo's government said.. . .

Let us hope that this time around, the vaccine may be quickly deployed to the affected villages -- though as we have long explained, this terrain is well-nigh unpassable -- even by Jeep. Only motorbikes are really useful in these mountainous wooded regions. And the vaccine must be kept very cold, for the entire journey, under a blazing African sun.

So do keep a good thought, tonight -- I'm off to bed, now. Up early for federal court appearances (pro bono sanctuary city cases) in the morning. Sleep tight -- under the brightening lord Jupiter's copper hued glow, tonight. Smile. नमस्ते