American Ebola Survivor Donates Blood to Colleague Infected With Virus
Jan Dizon | | Sep 12, 2014 05:15 AM EDT |
(Photo : Reuters)
American Missionary worker, Dr. Kent Brantley, who contracted the Ebola virus while working in Liberia, has given his blood to a fellow doctor in Nebraska who is receiving aggressive and experimental treatment.
According to reports, Brantley immediately flew to Nebraska from North Carolina to give a unit of his blood to Dr. Rick Sacra, a 51-year old fellow aid worker, and the third of four Americans who were airlifted from Africa back to the U.S. to receive treatment.
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Brantley's blood was a perfect match for Sacra and, as a survivor, contained anti-bodies which made him immune to the strain of Ebola Sacra is infected with.
Even Brantley himself was transfused with blood from another Ebola survivor before he returned to the U.S., and it is believed that blood from survivors can help others who have contracted the deadly virus.
In addition to the blood transfusions from Brantley, Dr. Sacra is undergoing aggressive treatments in order to increase his chances of survival.
His calcium, electrolytes, and nutrition levels are also being kept high and in check, which is what doctors say contributed to the recovery of Dr. Brantley.
Brantley first made headlines when he heroically gave the last dose of a life-saving serum to his colleague, Nancy Writebol, when only a small amount of the drug was sent to the hospital in West Africa where they were being treated.
Both he and Writebol were then airlifted to the U.S. where they were the first to receive the experimental Ebola drug ZMapp. It remains unclear if the new drug aided or made any difference in the overall treatment and recovery of either patient.
Dr. Sacra's wife, Debra, has been in contact with her husband through a video link and said he is optimistic about his recovery and hopes to return to his work helping people Liberia when he regains his health.
TagsEbola Virus, experimental ebola treatments, Kent Bradly, Nancy Writebol, Africa, rick sacra, Virus, outbreak, blood donation
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