Ebola: a deadly virus, an untested drug, and ethics

West Africa’s Ebola outbreak is unprecedented. The World Health Organization says there are now nearly 2,000 suspected or confirmed cases. Since March, the disease has killed more than 1,000 people.

The three countries hardest hit – Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone – are so desperate to contain the crisis, they have set up a "cordon" around the area worst affected. No one inside that boundary is allowed out. The tactic is very rare and dates back to medieval times when Europe battled the Plague.

Other countries fearful of Ebola's spread, such as Guinea-Bissau, are also taking measures to limit travel.

Guinea closed its borders with Sierra Leone over the weekend, leaving some travelers stranded.

"We have spent four days here," said truck driver Diallo Saikou. "We have asked them to allow us to enter as Guineans but they refuse."

There’s no proven treatment or vaccine to combat Ebola, but there are some new drugs in the early stages of testing, including one called ZMapp. The drug has proved effective when used on monkeys, but has yet to go through human experimental trials.

However, the situation in West Africa has gotten so severe, the WHO ruled this week that it is medically ethical to use the experimental medicines on Ebola patients.

Three patients have taken ZMapp so far. Two are American aid workers – Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol. They were treated in Liberia, transported back to the U.S., and are now reportedly getting better. U.S. health officials say they don't know yet if the drug helped. 

The third patient was Spanish missionary, Miguel Pajares. He passed away on Tuesday in Madrid.

No experimental medications had been given to African patients at the time of writing.

Further ethical questions have been raised surrounding the dispensing of experimental drugs such as, who should have access to the very limited supply?

Zmapp’s manufacturer said on Wednesday that it has sent the last of its supply to Liberia to treat two more sick doctors. Canada is responding to the health crisis by sending up to 1,000 doses of an experimental Ebola vaccine to the WHO. That vaccine has also never been tested on humans.

What kind of ethical concerns does this outbreak bring up?

What do we know about ZMapp?

What if the side effects end up being something worse?

We consulted a panel of experts for the Inside Story.