The Ebola virus is spreading rapidly and to an unexpected extent. The outbreak does not follow the patterns experienced in the past and the virus shows a new disease dynamic in regions, where it has never been recorded before. For this reason, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, acatech – the German Academy of Science and Engineering, and the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities have presented a statement on the Ebola epidemic today.

In the statement the academies call for the following consequences to be taken: To combat the Ebola epidemic vaccines and antivirals are urgently needed. To meet this need, the further development of experimental vaccines and medicines for clinical application needs to be accelerated. Even if the pathogen should temporarily disappear again, research must continue as a precautionary measure because another outbreak is highly probable. Such precautionary measures must also include ensuring that sufficient quantities of available vaccines and antivirals are stockpiled in case of a new outbreak. Increasing medical and social science research in this area is also vitally important for future preparedness.

Background

On 8 August, the World Health Organisation declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to be an international public health emergency. In particular, the WHO advised that: The Ebola outbreak in West Africa constitutes an ‘extraordinary event’ and a public health risk to other States;

The possible consequences of further international spread are particularly serious in view of the virulence of the virus, the intensive community and health facility transmission patterns, and the weak health systems in the currently affected and most at-risk countries.

A coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola.

The United Nations Security Council agreed with this assessment in its declaration of 18 September 2014 which stated that the epidemic constitutes a threat to international peace and security.

The current Ebola outbreak

Since its discovery in 1976, there have been repeated outbreaks of the Ebola virus, which were generally contained to remote regions of Central Africa and never amounted to more than 500 cases. The current outbreak of the virus is entirely different to past outbreaks. After the first cases were recorded in early 2014 in South-West Guinea, the disease has spread rapidly. Alongside Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, with its million-plus capital Monrovia, have been hit especially hard. The spread of the virus has been accelerated by multiple factors including disastrous hygiene conditions, the collapse of the medical infrastructure and a lack of public awareness. Over 8000 cases were registered by 5 October 2014. About half of the people infected have died. The death toll includes many doctors and nursing staff and an end to the outbreak is not in sight. From the beginning, the local healthcare systems have been supported by international aid organisations: Doctors Without Borders and the European Mobile Laboratory Project were the first to come to the region in March 2014. From very early on, these organisations have repeatedly said that the outbreak will not be contained without a massive increase in medical and epidemiological aid.

The Ebola virus and its progression

The Ebola virus and the Marburg virus are filoviruses, research on which started with discovery of the Marburg virus in 1967. Research in this area that has been carried out in Germany has significantly contributed to understanding the nature of the Ebola virus. This research furthermore delivered important approaches to control and fight the virus, such as the procedures to identify the virus which are being applied by the European Mobile Laboratory in the current outbreak. In addition, one of the two vaccines to be tested in the clinic is based on research originally carried out in Germany.