West Africa was devastated by the worst Ebola outbreak ever experienced worldwide last year. Now, as the three worst-struck nations: Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone are beginning to reestablish their health systems and economies destroyed by the Ebola outbreak, one vaccine has been developed that showed promising results and could be a possible cure to the deadly virus.

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The dreaded Ebola virus is not just an extremely fatal type of virus that can affect humans. It also has no cure and no real vaccine. But based on a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a new type of vaccine, which can be inhaled to activate immune cells, can provide protection against the Ebola virus, USA Today reported.

In the experiment, 12 monkeys were injected with Ebola virus and were then vaccinated. Eight were immunized via aerosol and four through injection, together with two unvaccinated monkeys. The result? The two unvaccinated primates died, while the vaccinated ones remained healthy and immune from the virus, Gizmodo noted.

The aerosolized Ebola vaccine is consist of a weakend strain of pararinfluenza virus that can cause a mild-respiratory, flulike illness in humans. The strain is genetically modified to contain a protein present on the envelope or exterior part of the Ebola virus cells. This way, the body can learn to identify the protein and protect it against future attacks from the real virus.

Meanwhile, after the vaccine trials on primates showed serious promise, initial tests on humans have been scheduled by the National Institutes of Health. According to Newsweek, University of Texas' Galveston National Laboratory researcher and lead study author Alexander Bukreyev revealed the trials are expected to be carried out in the next couple of months.

The deadly Ebola outbreak, which began in Guinea in December 2013, has killed 11,261 people in 27,609 cases across West Africa. Unfortunately, Ebola re-emerged in Liberia last week, almost two months after it was declared virus-free. Guinea and Sierra Leone, on the other hand, are still struggling to eradicate it. Last week, WHO confirmed a total of 30 new cases - 18 in Guinea, 3 in Liberia and 9 in Sierra Leone, as previously reported.

Several vaccines have been already developed, which include two that are being tested for efficacy in humans, and results are expected later in the year. But the aerosolized vaccine is the first-of-its-kind ever developed and such an inhalable vaccine has several advantages. Distribution-wise, it is much more practical to disseminate especially across third-world nations like West Africa than any needle-required administration.

Tagsebola vaccine, Ebola outbreak, Ebola Virus, West Africa Ebola Outbreak, West Africa