(Reuters) - There is no sign the Ebolavirus is mutating in an accelerated way that could make it morevirulent or thwart vaccines or drugs under development despitesome earlier fears to the contrary, researchers said onThursday.
Earlier analyses had suggested to some experts that thevirus might have been mutating at twice the rate observed inprevious outbreaks, raising fears it could become even deadlier.
But a study backed by the U.S. National Institutes of Healthand published in the journal Science found the virus waschanging at about the same rate as in prior outbreaks.
"The data really shows that the virus isn't changing anymore than would be expected. So, for example, it doesn't appearto be becoming more virulent or more transmissible," saidvirologist David Safronetz of the NIH's National Institute ofAllergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the researchers.
"I would say it's definitely reassuring," Safronetz added.
The biggest Ebola outbreak to date, centered in three WestAfrican countries, has killed more than 10,000 people but isshowing signs of waning.
The researchers analyzed genetic information on the virusfrom samples taken over nine months last year from patients inGuinea in March, patients in Sierra Leone last June and patientslast November in Mali who were infected in Guinea.
The routine genetic changes observed indicate the viralmutations are not likely to affect diagnostic testing or theeffectiveness of experimental Ebola vaccines or drugs, theresearchers said.
There are no approved vaccines or medicines for Ebola. Therehad been concern that a rapidly mutating virus could present atricky moving target that could complicate efforts to developways to prevent and treat the virus.
"This does not appear to be a moving target," said Dr.Anthony Fauci, NIAID's director.
Ebola is transmitted only through direct contact with theblood or body fluids of an infected person. Fauci said thefindings also allay concerns raised by some last year that arapidly changing virus could change how Ebola is transmitted,becoming airborne or respiratory.
Also in the journal Science, researchers led by YoshihiroKawaoka of the University of Wisconsin and the University ofTokyo described promising results in monkeys from anexperimental vaccine, one of several in the works.
They called it a safe, inactivated whole-virus vaccine thatprimes the recipient's immune system with the full complement ofEbola viral proteins and genes. (Reporting by Will Dunham)
Earlier analyses had suggested to some experts that thevirus might have been mutating at twice the rate observed inprevious outbreaks, raising fears it could become even deadlier.
But a study backed by the U.S. National Institutes of Healthand published in the journal Science found the virus waschanging at about the same rate as in prior outbreaks.
"The data really shows that the virus isn't changing anymore than would be expected. So, for example, it doesn't appearto be becoming more virulent or more transmissible," saidvirologist David Safronetz of the NIH's National Institute ofAllergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the researchers.
"I would say it's definitely reassuring," Safronetz added.
The biggest Ebola outbreak to date, centered in three WestAfrican countries, has killed more than 10,000 people but isshowing signs of waning.
The researchers analyzed genetic information on the virusfrom samples taken over nine months last year from patients inGuinea in March, patients in Sierra Leone last June and patientslast November in Mali who were infected in Guinea.
The routine genetic changes observed indicate the viralmutations are not likely to affect diagnostic testing or theeffectiveness of experimental Ebola vaccines or drugs, theresearchers said.
There are no approved vaccines or medicines for Ebola. Therehad been concern that a rapidly mutating virus could present atricky moving target that could complicate efforts to developways to prevent and treat the virus.
"This does not appear to be a moving target," said Dr.Anthony Fauci, NIAID's director.
Ebola is transmitted only through direct contact with theblood or body fluids of an infected person. Fauci said thefindings also allay concerns raised by some last year that arapidly changing virus could change how Ebola is transmitted,becoming airborne or respiratory.
Also in the journal Science, researchers led by YoshihiroKawaoka of the University of Wisconsin and the University ofTokyo described promising results in monkeys from anexperimental vaccine, one of several in the works.
They called it a safe, inactivated whole-virus vaccine thatprimes the recipient's immune system with the full complement ofEbola viral proteins and genes. (Reporting by Will Dunham)
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