“Today is a miraculous day”: US Ebola doctor treated with ZMapp discharged from hospital
Two Americans who contracted Ebola while they were working in Liberia have been discharged from a hospital in Atlanta.
Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol were among the first human patients treated with ZMapp, an experimental drug made by US-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical. Before it was rushed to Liberia to be used on patients during the latest outbreak, the drug had only been tested on monkeys.
Standing on the steps of Emory University Hospital, Brantly said: "Today is a miraculous day. I am thrilled to be alive."
Dr Bruce Ribner, director of the hospital's infectious disease unit, added:
After a rigorous course of treatment and testing, the Emory Healthcare team has determined that both patients have recovered from the Ebola virus and can return to their families and community without concern for spreading this infection to others.
This year, more than 1,300 people have died of the virus in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Companies including Fujifilm and GSK are currently testing drugs, but there is no proven cure.