Genetic mutations of the Ebola virus currently plaguing West Africa means creating an effective treatment may be even more difficult than previously thought, according to a study out of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.
Researchers compared the current strain of Ebola, called EBOV/Mak, with two other strains of the virus — one from 1976 and one from 1995 — and found more than 600 genetic mutations in each comparison.
Additionally, researchers found 10 new mutations that might interfere with the mechanisms of the sequence-based drugs currently being evaluated, three of which have appeared during the current outbreak.
According to study authors, considering genetic drift is vital when developing possible Ebola treatments that will remain effective over time.
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