The World Health Organization endorsed the use of an experimental drug to try and combat the deadly Ebola virus plaguing West Africa.
CNN reported on Tuesday that the experimental drug ZMapp, was sent to Liberia and will be used to try and treat medical workers who contracted the virus.
WHO declared that it is ethical to test out ZMapp and, as The New York Times noted, posted the following statement on its website.
“In the particular circumstances of this outbreak, and provided certain conditions are met, the panel reached consensus that it is ethical to offer unproven interventions with as yet unknown efficacy and adverse effects, as potential treatment or prevention.”
The number of deaths from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has now topped 1,000. The virus was first detected in Guinea in March and has since spread to Liberia, Sierre Leone and Nigeria.
The virus is often fatal and is spread through human contact. Some symptoms of Ebola include arthritis, chills, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and internal as well as external bleeding.