{"id":15798,"date":"2014-10-13T21:20:43","date_gmt":"2014-10-14T01:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2014\/10\/ebola-virus-update-the-importance-of-prevention.html"},"modified":"2017-11-28T13:31:13","modified_gmt":"2017-11-28T18:31:13","slug":"ebola-virus-update-the-importance-of-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2014\/10\/ebola-virus-update-the-importance-of-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"Ebola Virus, Update, Proposed Natural Supports, & the Importance of Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"

On my
\nhomepage blog<\/a>, I gave an update on the Ebola virus which included its
\ndefinition, its transmission, how it’s infectious but not contagious, and
\nconventional treatments. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and
\nPrevention issued its third Level 1 emergency response in nine years regarding
\nthis virus, which is reserved for the most dire health emergencies. (1) <\/p>\n

Here’s a
\nquick summary on what I discussed on my homepage:<\/p>\n

1. The
\nEbola virus was named after the Ebola River where it was first recognized. This
\nwas during 1976 at the time of the first human outbreaks (one in Central Africa
\nand the other in South Sudan). (2)<\/p>\n

2. Although
\nit is highly infectious, it is spread through direct contact, making it less
\ncontagious.<\/p>\n

3.
\nCurrently, the fatality rate is over 50% worldwide and there have been 2
\nconfirmed cases in the U.S. The CDC does not consider Ebola a major threat to
\nthe United States at this time. (3)<\/p>\n

4. There
\nare no approved FDA treatments and supportive care is currently being used for
\nvictims.<\/p>\n

Now, in
\nthis blog, I will review some of the proposed natural supportive measures and
\ngive my opinion on why “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”<\/p>\n

Suggested Natural Supportive
\nMeasures Found in the Media<\/b><\/p>\n

1. Silver and Vitamin C<\/b><\/p>\n

Alliance
\nfor Natural Health discussed some in vitro studies on silver and reported:<\/p>\n

\n

Meanwhile, silver and intravenous C
\nare available right now, but we don’t see the WHO getting behind them.<\/i> (Alliance for Natural Health) (4)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I couldn’t
\nfind PubMed articles for this, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.<\/p>\n

GreenMed
\nInfo offered this blog on Vitamin C: http:\/\/www.greenmedinfo.com\/blog\/can-vitamin-c-cure-ebola<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

2. Sunlight and Vitamin D<\/b><\/p>\n

\n

Interestingly,
\nthe Ebola virus is inactivated by UV radiation.12 It certainly isn’t the first
\ntime sunlight has been shown to be beneficial in the fight against disease,
\nalthough bacteria appears to be more susceptible to UV radiation than viruses. <\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/p>\n

Additionally,
\nregular sun exposure will help optimize your vitamin D, which is crucial for
\noverall robust immune function. Americans in particular may want to take that
\nadvice to heart, seeing how most are vitamin D deficient and therefore more open
\nto infections of all kinds. (Mercola) (5)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

3.<\/b> Red Algae
\nExtract <\/b><\/p>\n

A recent article in GreenMedInfo<\/i>
\ncited some resources linking red algae extract to help modulate Ebola symptoms.
\n(6) The mechanism proposed is through
\nthe mannose-binding lectin. (6-11) One study reported that this lectin was not
\nassociated in significant levels to pulmonary exacerbations in chronic
\npulmonary obstructive disease (9); however, some in vitro and in vivo show
\npromising mechanisms. (6)<\/p>\n

4. MSDS Database Suggestions:<\/b><\/p>\n

\n

DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: Unknown. S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase
\ninhibitors<\/b> have been found to have complete mortality protection in mice infected
\nwith a lethal dose of Ebola virus (30). <\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

(My note:
\nthis is the enzyme involved in breaking down SAH to homocysteine). <\/p>\n


\n<\/i>

\nDRUG RESISTANCE: There are no known antiviral treatments available for human
\ninfections. <\/i>

\n<\/i>

\nSUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Ebola virus is susceptible to sodium
\nhypochlorite, lipid solvents, phenolic disinfectants, peracetic acid, methyl
\nalcohol, ether, sodium deoxycholate, 2% glutaraldehyde, 0.25% Triton X-100,
\n\u03b2-propiolactone, 3% acetic acid (pH 2.5), formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde,
\nand detergents such as SDS (20, 21, 31-34). <\/i>

\n<\/i>

\nPHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Ebola are moderately thermolabile and can be inactivated
\nby heating for 30 minutes to 60 minutes at 60\u00baC, boiling for 5 minutes, gamma
\nirradiation (1.2 x106 rads to 1.27 x106 rads), and\/or UV radiation (3, 6, 20,
\n32, 33). (12)<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/p>\n

5. An
\nAbstract with an Integrative Approach:<\/b><\/p>\n

\n

Viral hemorrhagic fevers are severe
\nzoonotic diseases caused by RNA-viruses classified into 4 families:
\nArenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Filoviridae, and Flaviviridae. They are present on
\nall continents except Antarctica, their person-to-person spread is easy, and
\nthere is a high risk of them being used as weapon by bioterrorists. So far,
\nefforts to develop effective drugs against these viruses have failed, and
\ntypical therapy usually relies on symptomatic treatment. Search for substances
\nthat could effectively inhibit this type of infections is now a priority. The
\npresented paper gives an overview of different approaches used in combating the
\nviral hemorrhagic fevers. Researchers look for safe antiviral agents with
\nappropriate properties among natural sources, such as various types of herbs
\nplants, algae, or essential oils obtained from trees, as well as investigate
\nthe use of various synthetic substances. The aim is to broaden the pool of
\navailable antiviral drugs that could replace hitherto applied medicines such as
\nribavirin, which is not always sufficiently effective and may have
\nside-effects. The scientists focus not only on combating the diseases, but also
\non their prevention. For this purpose, recombinant vaccines or various types of
\nimmunomodulators may serve as a useful tools. Results of the latest studies are
\npromising and encourage further work which may eventually lead to the solution
\nof the urgent problem of hemorrhagic fevers. (13)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

My Conclusions:<\/b><\/p>\n

I think
\nit’s important to keep your body healthy and your inner terrain strong. After
\nall, not everyone exposed and treated died. What is the difference?<\/p>\n

Recently, I was interviewed at CBS6 and stated my philosophy on keeping the
\nimmune system strong: http:\/\/www.cbs6albany.com\/news\/features\/top-story\/stories\/your-life-your-health-avoid-flu-19803.shtml#.VDWVxlALamw.twitter<\/p>\n

I have also
\ndiscussed several options using essential oils and health basics to support
\nyour immune system and overall wellness. Although there may be no “cure,” there
\nis a lot to be done to keep us well and keep our bodies strong!<\/p>\n

Here are
\nthe links to my articles:<\/p>\n

Back to School Immune Support- Essential Oils vs. Bugs<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n