Ethical to use untested Ebola drugs - WHO

The WHO says the untested drug ZMAPP can be used to treat patients infected with the Ebola virus.

It said it is ethical in the light of the scale of the outbreak and high number of deaths in West Africa.

The organisation made the statement after its medical experts met in Switzerland yesterday to discuss the issue.

The move also comes as Liberia said it is getting the experimental drug, after requests to the US government.

The WHO said where experimental treatments are used, there must be informed consent and the results of the treatment collected and shared.

Meanwhile, experimental drugs requested by the Liberian government will be sent into the country later this week although manufacturer, Mapp Biopharmaceutical has warned the supplies are limited.

Zmapp has been used on two US aid workers who have shown signs of improvement.

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.

The drug has only been tested on monkeys and has not yet been evaluated for safety in humans.

Source: BBC