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| Ebola outbreak: Kenya at high risk, warns WHO | Ebola outbreak: Kenya at high risk, warns WHO |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Kenya as a "high-risk" country for the spread of the deadly Ebola virus. | The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Kenya as a "high-risk" country for the spread of the deadly Ebola virus. |
| Kenya was vulnerable because it was a major transport hub, with many flights from West Africa, a WHO official said. | Kenya was vulnerable because it was a major transport hub, with many flights from West Africa, a WHO official said. |
| This is the most serious warning to date by the WHO that Ebola could spread to East Africa. | This is the most serious warning to date by the WHO that Ebola could spread to East Africa. |
| Health experts are battling to contain the outbreak in West Africa, where it has killed more than 1,000 people. | Health experts are battling to contain the outbreak in West Africa, where it has killed more than 1,000 people. |
| Canada said it would donate up to 1,000 doses of an experimental Ebola vaccine to help fight the outbreak. | Canada said it would donate up to 1,000 doses of an experimental Ebola vaccine to help fight the outbreak. |
| Airport health checks | Airport health checks |
| Ebola was first reported in Guinea in February, before spreading to Sierra Leone and Liberia. | Ebola was first reported in Guinea in February, before spreading to Sierra Leone and Liberia. |
| Nigeria, Africa's most populous state, is the latest to be affected, reporting a third Ebola-related death on Tuesday. | Nigeria, Africa's most populous state, is the latest to be affected, reporting a third Ebola-related death on Tuesday. |
| In other developments: | |
| The WHO's country director for Kenya, Custodia Mandlhate, said the East African state was "classified in group two; at high risk of transmission". | The WHO's country director for Kenya, Custodia Mandlhate, said the East African state was "classified in group two; at high risk of transmission". |
| Health checks at the main airport in the capital, Nairobi, have been stepped up in recent weeks. | Health checks at the main airport in the capital, Nairobi, have been stepped up in recent weeks. |
| 'Global resource' | |
| The government said it would not ban flights from the four countries hit by Ebola. | The government said it would not ban flights from the four countries hit by Ebola. |
| "We do not recommend ban of flights because of porous borders," health cabinet secretary James Macharia said. | "We do not recommend ban of flights because of porous borders," health cabinet secretary James Macharia said. |
| Kenya receives more than 70 flights a week from West Africa. | Kenya receives more than 70 flights a week from West Africa. |
| The West African regional body, Ecowas, said one of its officials, Jatto Asihu Abdulqudir, had died of Ebola in Nigeria. | |
| The 36-year-old had been in contact with Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian government employee who was the first to be killed by the virus in Nigeria on 25 July, Ecowas said in a statement. | |
| Mr Sawyer had flown in from Liberia, when he was diagnosed with Ebola after collapsing at the airport in Lagos, the biggest city in sub-Saharan Africa. | Mr Sawyer had flown in from Liberia, when he was diagnosed with Ebola after collapsing at the airport in Lagos, the biggest city in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| This is the first time West Africa has been affected by Ebola, with previous outbreaks hitting East and Central Africa. | |
| There is no cure for Ebola and the outbreak has been declared a global health emergency by the WHO. | There is no cure for Ebola and the outbreak has been declared a global health emergency by the WHO. |
| On Tuesday, it approved the use of untested drugs on Ebola patients. | On Tuesday, it approved the use of untested drugs on Ebola patients. |
| However, experts say supplies of both the vaccine and the experimental drug Zmapp are limited and it could take months to develop more supplies. | However, experts say supplies of both the vaccine and the experimental drug Zmapp are limited and it could take months to develop more supplies. |
| Dr Gregory Taylor, deputy head of Canada's Public Health Agency, said he saw the vaccines as a "global resource". | Dr Gregory Taylor, deputy head of Canada's Public Health Agency, said he saw the vaccines as a "global resource". |
| He said he had been advised that it would make sense for healthcare workers to be given the vaccine, given their increased risk of contracting the disease. | He said he had been advised that it would make sense for healthcare workers to be given the vaccine, given their increased risk of contracting the disease. |
| Zmapp has been used on two US aid workers who have shown signs of improvement, although it is not certain what role the medication played in this. | |
| A Roman Catholic priest, infected with Ebola in Liberia, who died after returning home to Spain is also thought to have been given the drug. | |
| What drugs exist currently ? | What drugs exist currently ? |
| There are a handful of drugs that have been shown to work well in animals. | There are a handful of drugs that have been shown to work well in animals. |
| One is Zmapp - the drug requested by the Liberian government. This contains a cocktail of antibodies that attack proteins on the surface of the virus. | One is Zmapp - the drug requested by the Liberian government. This contains a cocktail of antibodies that attack proteins on the surface of the virus. |
| Only one drug has moved on to early safety testing in humans. Known as TKM-Ebola, this interrupts the genetic code of the virus and prevents it from making disease-causing proteins. | Only one drug has moved on to early safety testing in humans. Known as TKM-Ebola, this interrupts the genetic code of the virus and prevents it from making disease-causing proteins. |
| The drug was trialled in healthy volunteers at the beginning of 2014 but the American medicines regulator asked for further safety information. The manufacturer says human studies may soon resume. | The drug was trialled in healthy volunteers at the beginning of 2014 but the American medicines regulator asked for further safety information. The manufacturer says human studies may soon resume. |
| Another option would be to use serum from individuals who have survived the virus - this is a part of the blood that may contain particles able to neutralise the virus. | Another option would be to use serum from individuals who have survived the virus - this is a part of the blood that may contain particles able to neutralise the virus. |
| Vaccines to protect against acquiring the disease have also been shown to work in primates. American authorities are considering fast-tracking their development and say they could be in use in 2016. Trials are likely to start soon, according to the WHO. | Vaccines to protect against acquiring the disease have also been shown to work in primates. American authorities are considering fast-tracking their development and say they could be in use in 2016. Trials are likely to start soon, according to the WHO. |
| But experts warn that ultimately the only way to be sure a drug or vaccine is effective is to see if it works in countries affected by Ebola. | But experts warn that ultimately the only way to be sure a drug or vaccine is effective is to see if it works in countries affected by Ebola. |
| Ebola virus disease (EVD) | Ebola virus disease (EVD) |