Ebola Virus : An Epidemic

"The only sound is a choking in his throat as he continues to vomit while unconscious. Then comes a sound like a bed sheet being torn in half, which is the sound of his bowels opening at the sphincter and venting blood. The blood is mixed with his intestinal lining. He has sloughed off his gut. The lining of his intestines have come off and are being expelled along with huge amounts of blood" (Preston 17).

First discovered in the 1970’s, the ebola virus was contained to West Africa (“About Ebola Virus Disease”). Villagers’ diets consisted primarily of the resources readily available. Among these resources were fruit, vegetables, and animals, namely monkeys. Monkeys carried the ebola virus, and when people ate them, without proper cleaning and cooking techniques, they became infected. Ebola, formally known as Zaire Ebola Virus, is transmitted through bodily fluids like saliva, blood, semen, breast milk, mucus, sweat, tears, feces and urine. ("Ebola in West Africa."). Since it was introduced to a third world country, where hygiene is not regarded as important as survival. Without education, protection and segregated sewage, the virus began to spread. In days people were dying after spreading the virus to those closest to them (Waterman). The bodies, though dead, were still harboring the virus and

While Ebola is not an airborne virus, it can be transmitted through direct contact with an infected person’s fluids, such as blood, urine, vomit, sweat, semen and sexual contact (Nevins, 2014). With these deadly symptoms and ease of transmission, the Ebola virus can quickly wipe out an entire community. Yet, scientists have found that the severity of the disease in humans varies widely, from rapid fatality to mild illness or even asymptomatic response, further complicating the ability to quickly identify infected patients and reduce the possibility of transmission (Kolata, 2014). Moreover, the virus has different strains and mutates according to the specific environmental conditions in which it exists (Peters et al., 1991).

The filovirus family encompasses two genera: Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus; note that filoviruses are zoonotic, and have recently been traced to some species of African bats (CDC 2014). Currently, there are four species of ebolavirus that cause disease in humans: Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Tai Forest virus, and Bundibugyo virus (CDC 2015 B, 1). For the purposes of this scenario, Ebola virus will be the agent of focus and use. Symptoms of Ebola virus infection range from common illness characteristics, such as fever and fatigue, to the more detrimental characteristics of unexplained bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea, and body pains; symptoms can appear anywhere from two days to three weeks after exposure (CDC 2015 B, 1). Transmission of infection occurs through direct contact between an individual’s mucous membranes or broken skin and body fluids of an infected person (CDC 2015 A). Body fluids can include sweat, saliva, blood, semen, and urine, amongst several others. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that “Although … the viruses display some capability of infection through small-particle aerosols, airborne spread among humans has not been clearly demonstrated”

Ebola was first recognized in 1976 as the cause of outbreaks of disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as Zaire) and in Sudan. About three hundred people in each of the two nations were infected with the virus, resulting in a mortality rate of 88% in Zaire, and 53% in Sudan (Bulletin of the WHO 1978). The disease as it was discovered spread through direct contact of unmans to humans, and then thought, from non-human primates to humans. The epidemic was a result of unsafe and unsanitary hospital practices, and non-sterilized medical equipment. The disease was then contained, however sporadic outbreaks of the Zaire and Sudan Ebola subtypes have risen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Uganda, and Sudan; one of the latest outbreaks was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in September of 2007.

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a severe and often fatal disease that can occur in humans and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys and gorillas). The outbreaks of EVD occur predominantly in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests and where contact with animals is more likely to take place. EVD is transmitted into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals (typically nonhuman primates and fruit bats). Once a human is infected it spreads in the community through skin-to-skin contact, direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual, or contact with environments that are contaminated with such fluids. The incubation

Ebola was and still is a greatly talked about problem. Most people know that it is very contagious. The Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola river in Congo.The greatest outbreak of Ebola started in Guinea in December 2013.Ebola is a virus with several strains and it can cause the disease Ebola hemorrhagic fever. People that are infected with the Ebola virus get their immune system destroyed and eventually start bleeding internally and externally .Depending on the outbreak from 50 - 90% of the infected die from (EBV)

got sick and died. This outbreak infected 318 with a death rate of 93% (Le

Ebola Virus is a serious transmitted disease by both humans and animals. The disease first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara, Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter occurred in a village near the Ebola River, from which the virus received its name. Ebola Virus is a member of the negative stranded RNA viruses known as filoviruses. There are currently, five different strains of the Ebola Virus including, Zaire (EBOV), Sudan (SUDV), Bundibuguyo (BDBV), Taï Forest (TAFV) and Reston (RESTV). Each of the strains of the virus are very closely related including Reston which only effects animals. Yet, Ebola Zaire is the most highly virulent subtype, often leading to death. All of the different types of the virus are extremely dangerous and often cause death if untreated.

The virus was passed from the bat to other animals. C. Humans contract the virus through contact with bodily fluids of infected animals or infected humans. (Internal Transition: Now that we know what Ebola is, let’s finally look at where the virus is in the world. IV. The Ebola Virus, today, is worldwide.

For humans, Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the ebolaviruses. The virus is from the Filoviridae family. “Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope, and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest. Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with

Ebola is a fever-bound viral disease which belongs to the Filoviridae family and is extremely fatal. When it first appeared in 1976, it claimed 90% of its recipients. Ebola originated from Nzara, Sudan and Yambuku of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its name originates from the Ebola River where it was first contracted in Yambuku. Since its initial outbreak and more recent understanding of the disease, medical amends have reduced the mortality rate greatly but it still spans from about 25% to 90% nonetheless. Before its outbreak in the United States in 2014, there were roughly 2300 cases with over 1500 deaths. In 2014, the US had its first outbreak of Ebola with 11 total cases documented where there were 2 deaths. Symptoms include fever,

The Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (CDC, About Ebola). Ebola was also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever which is a zoonotic disease caused by direct contact with infected or dead animals ("The Natural History of Ebola Virus in Africa."). According to the Centers For Disease Control, there are four to five types of Ebola viruses but only four are known to cause diseases in human which are: the Ebola virus; Sudan Virus; Taї virus; and Bundibugyo. The fifth is the Reston Virus which causes diseases in nonhuman but does not affect humans. The whereabouts of where the virus came from is unknown but researchers believe that the virus is animal-borne (animals that carry the virus) and that bats are the carriers based on evidence and similar viruses they have found. Four of the five virus mostly occur in an animal host native to Africa (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)). The virus does not affect the host’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-encodes genes but the ribonucleic acid (RNA)-encodes proteins.

Science has offered mankind various alternative methods to stop diseases from invading the human body. Whether, it be a vaccine, a pill, or various collaborative methods, mankind is in the pursuit of controlling and isolating the Ebola virus disease. Ebola is a disease that not only consumes the lives of many, but also consumes the infrastructure of many villages, towns, and their way of life. The Ebola virus is one of the most dangerous diseases because it suppresses the immune system, damages the vascular system, leads to multiple organ failure, and hemorrhagic fever along with a chain of various other symptoms. It is not one single phase of Ebola that has up to a 90 percent mortality rate 1, but a wave of multiple body systems failures that disintegrates the human body as a whole. The virus’ ability to attack the human body has driven man to expand on various new methods to counteract the destruction it has had on the Central and Western African. Understanding the Ebola virus disease, its strains, and its ability to suppress the immune system, has driven the collaboration of health organizations to design and implement projects that will control and reduce the spread of Ebola.

Ebola then spreads through direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids. Caregivers can contract this disease by coming in contact with blood, vomit, or other fluid. Ebola patients bleed intensely, so the chances of a caregiver contracting it is high. Also, many caregivers use rituals that require bathing the bodies, making them more vulnerable to infection. The disease is spreading from small, isolated villages to large cities, where it will be much harder to isolate patients.