Five Scientists Studying Ebola Trend Die

Five co-authors of the latest study on Ebola were killed by the virus
before their research was published, highlighting the huge risks
undertaken by those working to combat its spread.

The study, published on Thursday, discovered the virus has mutated
many times during the outbreak in West Africa, making establishing a
treatment more difficult.

Mbalu Fonnie, Alex Moigboi, Alice Kovoma, Mohamed Fullah and Sheik
Umar Khan worked with lead researchers at Harvard University to
examine the current outbreak.

Science Mag said all five were experienced members of the Kenema
Government Hospital's Lassa fever team. Lassa fever infections have
similar symptoms to Ebola.

Their work sequenced the virus genomes from 78 patients and traced the
outbreak in Sierra Leone to a funeral of a healer, which a pregnant
Kenema Government Hospital Ebola patient and other women who were also
infected had attended.

Two months before his death, Khan had described the dangers of
treating people with the disease, telling Reuters he feared for his
life.

As he examined blood samples of Ebola, he said, "I am afraid for my
life, I must say, because I cherish my life. Health workers are prone
to the disease because we are the first port of call for somebody who
is sickened by disease. Even with the full protective clothing you put
on, you are at risk."

More than half of the 3,069 people infected by Ebola have died from
the disease, which has spread across Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea,
Nigeria and now Senegal.

The World Health Organisation has warned the current outbreak could
infect up to 20,000 people before it ends.