Ebola virus disease - How Ebola virus disease is treated

There's currently no licensed treatment or vaccine for Ebola virus disease, although potential new vaccines and drug therapies are being developed and tested.

Any area affected by an outbreak should be immediately quarantined, and patients confirmed to have Ebola virus disease should be treated in isolation in intensive care. 

Hospital care

Dehydration is common, so fluids may be given directly into a vein (intravenously). The patient's blood oxygen levels and blood pressure need to be maintained at the right level and body organs supported, while the patient's body fights the disease and any other infections are treated.

Healthcare workers need to avoid contact with the bodily fluids of their infected patients by taking strict precautions. 

Read about the prevention of Ebola virus disease.

ZMapp

ZMapp is an experimental treatment that can be tried, although it has not yet been tested on humans for safety or effectiveness. The product is a combination of three different antibodies that bind to the protein of the Ebola virus.