Since Fall 2014, Ira Longini has worked with the World Health Organization to design a clinical trial for an Ebola vaccine. This term, he found his Ebola vaccine was 100 percent effective.
Now, Longini said he and his research team have moved from the trial stage.
Ebola is a deadly virus that causes organ failure. The first known Ebola outbreak occurred in 1976, according to the World Health Organization’s website. The most recent outbreak occurred in 2014.
The vaccine was designed specifically for Ebola, he said, and the team based its research off of how smallpox was dealt with in the 1970s.
"I think that it is interesting to solve important health problems by learning how to control infectious diseases," Longini said.
Longini said it is likely Ebola will spread across the world, and he thinks it’s important to stop it as soon as possible.
UF chemistry senior Harrison Bonilla said he’s learned about Ebola in classes but doesn’t think the public understands it well.
"Every year, the number of people affected (by Ebola) grows, and the increase in airplane travel has made the disease easily spreadable," Bonilla, 21, said.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect corrections. Ebola is not an airborne disease. We originally reported otherwise.
This article has been further updated to reflect that Ira Longini and the team he worked with at the World Health Organization designed a clinical trial for an Ebola vaccine, but did not design the vaccine itself. We originally reported otherwise.
