Experts have estimated that if used widely they could help to control the outbreak, and are recommended by other countries.

Managers, we learnt, overrode the advice of the expert clinicians on their own staff and thus failed to isolate infected patients to control the outbreak.

The treatments are not expected to help control this outbreak, but should help in future cases.

In his first report, he drew attention to the need for a national vaccination campaign against smallpox and for efforts to control the outbreak of epidemics.

Efforts are under way to vaccinate pets and strays, as well as selective culling of some strays, to control the outbreak.