Difficult to produce anti-Ebola ZMapp test serum

The Ebola anti-virus ZMapp serum is tested for the first two American patients, Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, which are difficult to produce on a large scale.

This is the judgment of the leading medical experts in America.

Known as ZMapp, the serum of these three antibodies is made from genetically modified tobacco leaves, which take weeks to develop.

Three bottles of ZMapp serum were sent to Liberia for treatment of the two infected doctors when they were on the treatment of Ebola patients in the country.

Surprisingly, both doctors' health improved markedly and are currently being quarantined at a hospital in Atlanta (Georgia).

Liberian people read the announcement about the Ebola epidemic at a community health center in Monrovia on July 31.(Photo: AFP / VNA)

The director of the American Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci said the data from the ZMapp test on animals infected with Ebola is very good and that the use of this serum in the two patients has opened up. positive outlook on the possibility of ZMapp being able to resist Ebola virus.

However, Mr. Fauci stressed that medical experts have not been able to confirm that the experimental drug is "particularly promising" against Ebola virus resistance.

In addition, the new drug tested only in two patients should be very cautious before making any decisions about the use of drugs in the treatment of disease.

Until now, there have not been any drugs or vaccines in the world market that can effectively fight Ebola virus causing fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, respiratory failure and sometimes causing this bleeding.

In January, ZMapp serum was first identified as the 'most potential candidate' that could be resistant to Ebola, but still had no safety tests on humans.

It is very difficult to prepare this serum and medical experts are working hard to expand the scale of drug production as soon as possible.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since the outbreak in February last year in West Africa, Ebola virus has so far killed 887 people.

Despite the international community's efforts, the number of infections and deaths continues to increase in this region due to poor health care conditions.