Are there people who are immune to Ebola?

Ebola has claimed the lives of thousands of people, affecting more than 9,000 individuals around the world and killing more than 4,000 according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) numbers.  Just like any other disease, however, it doesn’t kill everyone it comes in contact with, and researchers say there are likely individuals who are immune to the virus.

SEE ALSO: Experts: Airborne transmission of Ebola has likely been happening

Immunity can occur in a number of ways, but for individuals in Ebola-affected areas, there are only two forms of immunity available–natural and acquired. Natural immunity means that, for some unknown reason, the healthy individual is able to fight off the virus before it causes an infection. Acquired immunity means a person must become ill first, fight off the virus, and then rely on antibodies to protect the body from becoming infected again.

Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to know who is immune to Ebola and why; the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease indicates: “Immunity can be strong or weak, short-lived or long-lasting, depending on the type of antigen it encounters, the amount of antigen, and the route by which the antigen enters the body. Immunity can also be influenced by inherited genes. When faced with the same antigen, some people will respond forcefully, others feebly, and some not at all.“

Knowing who is immune to Ebola could prove important in the upcoming weeks. Finding that portion of the population–if it indeed exists– could offer significant insight into treatment methods and predictions into how fast the Ebola epidemic will spread. A a letter in The Lancet medical journal from researchers implores health organizations to immediately undertake a study searching for individuals with Ebola immunity.

“Ultimately, knowing whether a large segment of the population in the afflicted regions are immune to Ebola could save lives,” researcher Dr. Steve Bellan, told MNT. “We might not have to wait until we have a vaccine to use immune individuals to reduce the spread of disease.”

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Doctors are attempting to use this form of therapy on one of the Dallas nurses recently diagnosed with Ebola. Nurse Nina Pham will receive blood from Dr. Kent Brantly, the first American to return to the US from Liberia to be treated for Ebola. As a survivor, Brantly should have antibodies against Ebola that can be transferred to Pham by way of a blood donation. Brantly, who is known for his humanitarian efforts during the Ebola outbreak is happy to do what he can, but researchers feel survivors may not be the best resource when it comes to Ebola immunity.

SEE ALSO: Most US nurses say their hospitals aren’t prepared for Ebola

Authors in the report add, “Recruitment of such individuals, (those with natural immunity and those with acquired immunity without symptoms) might be preferable to enlistment of survivors of symptomatic Ebola disease because survivors might experience psychological trauma or stigmatisation and be fewer in number – in view of the asymptomatic proportions suggested in previous studies and the low survival rate of symptomatic cases.”

Finding individuals who have been exposed to Ebola and overcome it without even knowing they had the virus could open the door to creating a vaccine against this deadly disease. Experts must look now, though, cautioned researchers, because “… the extent of protective immunity after asymptomatic infection and the identification of serological markers for protective immunity can only be definitively addressed in settings with ongoing transmission risk.”