An Ebola Virus Treatment Center In Monrovia
A man stands at the gate of an Ebola virus treatment center in Monrovia September 21, 2014. Reuters

Pharmaceutical companies working on Ebola vaccines have surged in after-hours trading, following news of the first Ebola case in the United States was confirmed by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

Canada-based company Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TKMR) shares are up 23 percent at $25.90. According to reports, the firm is working on an Ebola treatment with the code name TKM=Ebola. The drug is currently in trial phase. In regular trading hours, Tekmira stock gained 2 percent at $21.14, reports ABC.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) stock rose 11.5 percent at $10.90 per share. The company's stock fell during regular trading hours by 7 percent. The company develops treatments for infectious diseases.

Aside from Tekmira and BioCryst, biotechnology firm Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) shares also increased by 8 percent at $22.77 in after-hours trading. Before the stock gain, the company's shares were down by 1.8 percent. Sarepta specialises in developing drugs for contagious and rare diseases.

As the Ebola virus continues to rage in West Africa, the World Health Organisation is working to hasten the release of some experimental vaccines. Pharmaceutical companies with Ebola drugs in trial phase are ramping up testing. NewLink Genetics has previously said it would begin testing its Ebola vaccine in a few weeks. Human trials for the drug developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals will start in early 2015. The company's stock went up 3.6 percent at $10.20 in aftermarket trading.

The first case of Ebola has touched the U.S. as a man coming home from Liberia has been diagnosed with the virus. The patient had boarded a plane from Liberia completely unaware that he was carrying the virus while going home. The CDC Director Dr Tom Frieden told reporters in a press conference that the man began showing symptoms on Sept 24, four days upon his return from Liberia.

The patient's name was not released as the CDC assured that he is in isolation and undergoing treatment at the Texas Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. Frieden said more than a "handful" of people are at risk with exposure to the virus limited to the patient's family members and others in the community who came in contact with the patient's bodily fluids. Reports said the CDC is confident the first case of Ebola in the U.S. can be contained.