Monkeys infected with Ebola can be cured with a pill, according to a new study out Friday that could pave the way for more practical, affordable treatments in humans.

First identified in 1976 and thought to have crossed over from bats, Ebola is a deadly viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, causing severe bleeding and organ failure.

Because outbreaks primarily affect sub-Saharan Africa, pharmaceutical companies have lacked financial incentives to develop treatments, and the sporadic nature of outbreaks has made clinical trials difficult.

A vaccine was only widely approved in 2019, and while two intravenous antibody treatments improve outcomes, they require costly cold storage and are difficult to administer in some of the world’s poorest regions.

“We’re really trying to come up with something that was more practical, easier to use, that could be used to help prevent, control, and contain outbreaks,” Thomas Geisbert, a virologist at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, who led the new study published in Science Advances, said.

For their experiment, Geisbert and colleagues tested the antiviral Obeldesivir, the oral form of intravenous Remdesivir, originally developed for Covid.

Obeldesivir is a “polymerase inhibitor,” meaning it blocks an enzyme crucial for viral replication.

The team infected rhesus and cynomolgus macaques with a high dose of the Makona variant of the Ebola virus.

A day after exposure, ten monkeys then received an Obeldesivir pill daily for ten days, while three control monkeys received no treatment and died.

Obeldesivir protected 80 per cent of the cynomolgus macaques and 100 per cent of the rhesus macaques, which are biologically closer to humans.

The drug not only cleared the virus from the treated monkeys’ blood but also triggered an immune response, helping them develop antibodies while avoiding organ damage.

Geisbert explained that while the number of monkeys was relatively small, the study was statistically powerful because they were exposed to an extraordinarily high dose of the virus — roughly 30,000 times the lethal dose for humans. This reduced the need for additional control monkeys, limiting unnecessary animal deaths.

The researcher, who has worked on Ebola since the 1980s and is credited with discovering the Reston strain, said one of the most exciting aspects of Obeldesivir is its “broad-spectrum” protection, compared to the approved antibody treatments that only work against the Zaire species of Ebola.

“That’s a huge advantage,” Geisbert said.

Pharmaceutical maker Gilead is currently advancing Obeldesivir to Phase 2 clinical trials for Marburg virus, a close relative of Ebola.

Geisbert also emphasized the importance of funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, amid reports that dozens of grants have been canceled under President Donald Trump’s administration.

“All these drugs and vaccines that were developed against Ebola and a lot of these exotic viruses and pathogens — 90 per cent of the money comes from the U.S. government,” he said, adding, “I think the general public would agree we need treatments for Ebola.”

The post Monkeys with Ebola cured with a pill, raising hopes for humans: study appeared first on CANADIAN AFFAIRS.

A recent case from Canada’s tax court highlights the need for Canadians to double check their tax slips and promptly correct any errors — even those made by the tax agency itself. 

In a March 6 decision, the Tax Court of Canada ruled that a B.C. realtor, Amarpal Singh, was obliged to pay tax on an inflated and erroneous income because he failed to challenge the Canada Revenue Agency’s administrative error within the prescribed period.

“Although the Minister [of National Revenue] made a stupid mistake in reassessing [Singh’s income], I have no discretion to extend the time limitations set out in the [Income Tax Act],” Justice David Spiro wrote in his decision. 

Mohammed Al-khooly, an Ontario-based Chartered Professional Accountant, says the case underscores the importance of Canadians addressing tax issues promptly and through formal tax agency channels. 

“ I think there’s a habit amongst people when they get a CRA notice, they might just set it aside, or they might be busy with their regular life and not prioritize it. But I think this [case] kind of shows you how important timeliness is,” Al-khooly said.

‘A matter of justice’

Singh’s predicament began when he received tax slips for commission income from a single payor, Nationwide Realty Corp. The corporation issued Singh a T4A showing income of $53,257 in 2019. It later amended the T4A to show income of $55,074. 

“But then the Minister of National Revenue … made a stupid mistake,” Tax Court Justice David Spiro wrote in his decision. 

“Rather than recognizing that the Amended T4A replaced the original T4A, the [Canada Revenue Agency] added the amount reflected on the Amended T4A to the amount reflected on the original T4A, leading to an erroneous reassessment of the Applicant’s income for 2019 of $108,332.18.”

In 2022, Singh received notice from the Canada Revenue Agency saying his 2019 income had been reassessed at the sum of the amounts on the two tax slips, the court judgment says. Singh testified that he spoke to CRA agents twice but took no notes of his calls.

“ Every single employee of the CRA, they said, ‘Yeah, we agree. It’s not your mistake. It’s our mistake,” Singh told Canadian Affairs in an interview.

But Justice Spiro says his hands are tied.

As a result, Singh says he is now required to pay an additional $13,000 in income tax.

The Canada Revenue Agency told Canadian Affairs it is not able to comment on the particulars of Singh’s case. But it said it does try to help Canadians in Singh’s situation.

“If Canadians find themselves in a situation similar to the case mentioned and call the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) general enquiries lines, a contact centre agent will examine their file to help them determine the best course of action,” an agency spokesperson told Canadian Affairs in an emailed statement. 

“Often, a formal objection is not required.”

But Al-khooly says Canadians should be proactive about formally challenging any tax irregularities.

“You’re basically relying on the CRA’s goodwill if you don’t go through the formal notice of objection process,” he said.

He also recommends Canadians consult qualified tax professionals for tax matters that exceed their understanding. 

“Seek the required professional advice in this situation … [from someone who] can educate you and make sure you’re not forfeiting any kind of appeal.”

The Canada Revenue Agency told Canadian Affairs it has the discretion to cancel or waive penalties and interest when taxpayers cannot meet their tax obligations due to circumstances beyond their control. 

“These can include financial hardship, actions of the CRA such as delays, extraordinary circumstances such as illness, and other circumstances outside the taxpayer’s control,” the agency spokesperson said.

Singh, who has spent more than a year fighting this case, is not expecting the Canada Revenue Agency to waive his additional tax obligation.

Singh says he is more frustrated by the unfairness of the situation than by the additional tax obligation.

“It’s not a matter of the [money],” said Singh. “It’s a matter of justice.”

The post The taxpayer on the hook for a CRA error appeared first on CANADIAN AFFAIRS.

Strong nights by Nova Scotians Jacob Newcombe and Joseph Henneberry led the Cape Breton Eagles to a 6-3 victory over the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Herd struck first, as Quinn Kennedy intercepted a clear attempt by the Cape Breton defence and fired a laser past Eagles goalie Alexis Cournoyer from the left faceoff circle on the powerplay for his 23rd of the season. Cape Breton scored two late in the period to end the first with the lead, Sambro native Jacob Newcombe scoring both for the Eagles.

The Eagles kept the momentum in the second period as Joseph Henneberry lit the lamp less than a minute into the frame. Liam Kilfoil responded for the Herd, tipping a shot from Shawn Carrier into the Cape Breton net. Mooseheads captain Brady Schultz assisting on that play. Thomas Lavoie restored the Eagles two goal lead less than 30 seconds after Kilfoils goal beating Steinman up close off a pass from Andrew Brown.

The Herd’s bench shortened halfway through the second period as the team announced defenceman Eddy Doyle would miss the remainder of the game with an upper body injury.

Mooseheads captain Brady Schultz tied Konrad Abeltshauser for most points by a Mooseheads defender after scoring his 7th of the season off a faceoff in the third period. MacPhee winning a faceoff and finding Kilfoil who sent the puck to Schultz who fired from the point, beating Cournoyer on the powerplay. Cape Breton retained their two goal lead as Henneberry added his second of the night for the Eagles. An empty netter from Alexandre Guy put the game out of the reach of the Mooseheads.

With the loss the Herd fall to 18-34-9 while the Eagles improve to 32-22-7

The Cape Breton Eagles secured the three stars of the game. Jacob Newcombe earned first star with three points, Joseph Henneberry was awarded second star also with three points and third star went to Thomas Lavoie who scored the game winner for the Eagles.

Halifax will be back in action on Sunday, March 16th as they host the Cape Breton Eagles at the Scotiabank Centre for the last battle of Nova Scotia this regular season. Puck drop is at 3 p.m., and you can catch all the action here on 95.7 NewsRadio

Watch this U Sports men's basketball semifinal between the University of Victoria Vikes and the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees from the University of British Columbia's Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver.

At least one person is missing after an avalanche near the Lake Louise Ski Resort in Alberta, according to the RCMP.

Mounties, in a press release on Friday, said they were called to the scene of a reported avalanche at approximately 3:45 p.m.

“At this time, it is believed at least one person is unaccounted for with the avalanche,” the statement said. “RCMP are asking for the public to follow instructions from all first responders and staff of the resort, and to have patience while we make all efforts to locate and rescue anyone in need.”

RCMP say at least one person is missing after an avalanche in the area of the Lake Louise Ski Resort on Friday.

An outbreak in the community of John D'Or Prairie, which is about 575 kilometres north of Edmonton and part of the Little Red River Cree Nation, is being investigated.

Premier Danielle Smith says Alberta is still working to import additional medication from Turkey to fulfill a $70-million deal signed over two years ago, but Health Canada says it has yet to receive an application from the province or any of the companies associated with the agreement.

Approval from the federal agency is required for any company, or person, that wishes to import, distribute or wholesale a drug product in Canada. Ms. Smith, on Friday, said MHCare Medical, the Edmonton-based company facilitating the deal, started the process to import intravenous acetaminophen in November, 2023, and, after receiving advice from Health Canada, submitted an application a year later.

An N.W.T. MLA has brought forward a proposed bill for public discussion that would allow nurses to have their own bargaining unit when negotiating a collective agreement.