Winnipeg Free Press

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Auto temp control, tilt, cruise, PW, PDL, PM, AM/ FM/ CD/ MP3, 19" alloy wheels, sunroof, heated leather interior, power seats, quad buckets seats, rear air & heat, deep tint, remote start, universal home remote and more. Denturist Association Listed in the Yellow Pages under Denturists or visit us online www. denturistmb. org of Manitoba A Denturist - the choice for you when full or partial dentures are required. Experience Counts! See a Denturist First! TM TOP NEWS WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2012 winnipegfreepress. com A 3 JUST 11 weeks ago, a bear cub was held and bottle- fed by a retired construction worker, who found the black ball of fur in a ditch near St. Malo. But now that bear is older and heavier, and growing steadily at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. The five- month- old bear is at the centre of a controversy, as about 50 protesters gathered outside the zoo Wednesday night to rally for the animal to be sent to a sanctuary, not released into the wild. And the man who found the cub was there. " We had him for nine days and I used to get up in the night and feed him with a bottle," said Rene Dubois, who found the bear - named Makoon - on March 25. " I want them to keep him until he's old enough, so he can defend himself." Judy Stearns set up a Facebook group called Save Bear Cub Makoon , an online petition that supports releasing the bear only when it reaches 18 months of age. She said there's a spot at an Ontario sanctuary for the bear, a better option than being released in the wild where she believes he has " nextto- no chance of survival." " It's not just because he's a cute, cuddly bear cub," said Stearns. " I don't like to see any living being... tossed out into the wild to suffer by our own government." The online petition had almost 11,000 people signed up by Wednesday night. At the rally, supporters crowded outside the zoo's entrance with signs pleading " Why make him suffer?" and " Death sentence." Jim Duncan, director of the wildlife branch for Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, said the bear is healthy, weighing in at about 30 pounds. " The zoo can handle the bear to a certain point, but can't maintain a bear of a larger size," Duncan said. Conservation officials are reaching a point where a decision needs to be made on the bear's future. Finding a permanent home for the bear is tricky because Canadian zoos and other accredited institutions are at capacity, he said, because " black bears are common in Canada." Releasing the bear also presents challenges. " We're concerned that if the bear is conditioned to humans and has lost its fear of humans, when it's released it would not be afraid of people and that would be a bad situation for the bear and a bad situation for humans. " But Manitoba is fortunate in that, unlike other jurisdictions, we still have some areas where we could release a bear and the chance of an encounter with a human is slim to none." He said Conservation is very aware of the public's concern for the bear. " The enthusiasm for which people have expressed their concern... I admire their passion and I hope they'd consider helping out their local ( animal) rehabilitation centre, because they are phenomenal," he said. " They receive 10,000 calls a year, dealing with injured and orphan wildlife, and they would benefit from people's consideration." - with files from Jason Bell gabrielle. giroday@ freepress. mb. ca What is Ebola? Ebola is a deadly virus first identified in 1976 in Sudan and Zaire ( now the Democratic Republic of Congo). About 1,850 cases have been documented, with more than 1,200 deaths. Deadly strains of the virus are found in such central African nations as Congo, Gabon, Uganda, Sudan and Angola. How is it transmitted? The Ebola virus is transmitted by direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons. Health- care workers have frequently been infected while treating Ebola patients, through close contact without taking proper infection- control precautions. What are the symptoms? Ebola is characterized by sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is often followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function and, in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. What is the treatment? Currently, there is a drug treatment that is effective if provided within 30 minutes of contact with the virus. The new treatment developed in Winnipeg has been shown to be very effective within 24 hours of contact. There is no vaccine for Ebola. - sources: World Health Organization and National Microbiology Laboratory S CIENTISTS at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg believe they've made a groundbreaking discovery in the treatment of one of the world's deadliest viruses. A 12- person team led by Dr. Gary Kobinger has isolated antibodies to the Ebola virus and produced a drug that has been found to be 100 per cent effective - in test animals - when used within 24 hours of exposure to the virus. It's also been somewhat effective when used as late as 48 hours after the initial infection. The current treatment for Ebola is effective only within 30 minutes of a person contracting the virus. So the Winnipeg lab's discovery represents a vast improvement in what is still a tiny window for saving someone who has been exposed to the virus. " We are thrilled - the entire team," said Kobinger, reached by telephone in Ottawa on Wednesday. The researchers' findings were published Wednesday by the journal Science Translational Medicine. Kobinger's team has been working intensively on a treatment for Ebola for the past five years. The researchers believe their approach can also be used to treat other diseases. The Winnipeg group isolated three different antibodies to Ebola and have developed an easy- to- manufacture treatment. The cocktail of antibodies is best used within 24 hours, followed by two successive injections, two days apart. Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons. The deadly strains have been contained mainly to central Africa. Health- care workers have also frequently been infected while treating Ebola patients. A researcher in Europe was once accidentally exposed to Ebola while handling it in the lab. Dr. Frank Plummer, chief science officer at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said the discovery has the potential to save many lives. " It's just remarkable that this treatment works. We're really excited about it," he said. Plummer said the discovery may also lead to a successful treatment for similar diseases, such as Marburg, a close relative of Ebola. " I think it shows the importance and benefits of investing in Canadian science." Kobinger said his group's ultimate goal is to perfect the drug so it is effective in treating people within 72 hours of exposure to Ebola. That's important, because symptoms don't usually manifest themselves for two days. The researcher said his team's discovery also has the potential to calm concerns over the use of Ebola as an agent in bioterrorism. " This will relieve some of this pressure ( on authorities)," he said. The discovery is a feather in the cap for the Winnipeg laboratory. Kobinger said the lab has attracted a great group of young scientists who have worked " extremely hard" on the project. " Several young investigators have made major contributions, and I cannot highlight that enough," he said. It could take two to three years before the new treatment is properly tested and receives regulatory approval. While Ebola does not naturally occur in Canada, there is always a small risk it could be imported into the country by an infected traveller. Having a safe and effective treatment option at the ready is important to protect Canadians from that risk, scientists say. The National Microbiology Laboratory is Canada's leading public health infectious disease laboratory and the only facility in Canada that is permitted to study and work with live hemorrhagic- fever viruses such as Ebola and other similarly highly infectious and deadly organisms. Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq congratulated the Winnipegbased researchers on their achievement Wednesday. " This groundbreaking discovery is a remarkable achievement and exemplifies the world- class research conducted here in Canada," she said in a statement. larry. kusch@ freepress. mb. ca City team finds new Ebola cure Treatment effective up to 24 hours after exposure to deadly virus By Larry Kusch ' It's just remarkable that this treatment works' - Dr. Frank Plummer Baby bear outgrowing zoo but not public's concern By Gabrielle Giroday PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rene Dubois gestures to a photo quilt his family made of Makoon's stay with them. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Makoon in early April before being sent to the city zoo. CHRISTOPHER BLACK / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES Gary Kobinger: ' We are thrilled.' A_ 03_ Jun- 14- 12_ FP_ 01. indd A3 6/ 13/ 12 10: 15: 09 PM ;