The Epidemic Of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

Ebola, a virus which acquires its name from the Ebola River (located in Zaire, Africa), first emerged in September 1976, when it erupted simultaneously in 55 villages near the headwaters of the river. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and resulted in the deaths of nine out of every ten victims. Although it originated over 20 years

In late 2013, Ebola virus disease (EVD), a deadly and lethal disease, remerged in West Africa spreading to various countries in the region. In humans, the disease is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids leading to haemorrhagic fever (World Health Organization [WHO], 2015). Originating in 1976 in equatorial Africa, past outbreaks with a few hundred cases had been contained within rural, forested areas in Uganda and Congo (Piot, 2012). In 2014, a total of 20, 206 cases and 7,905 deaths were reported to have occurred in up to eight countries worldwide. Of all cases and deaths resulting from the disease, 99.8% occurred in three neighbouring West African countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (WHO, 2014). With a case fatality rate from about 50% to 90%, and the absence of preventative or curative therapies, the Ebola epidemic has led to overall global alarm and further elucidated existing global health disparities that perpetuated the epidemic with these West African countries.

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

It is vital to understand deadly viruses and their history in order to prevent future outbreaks. Ebola leaves very few clues after annihilating its victims, so it is incredibly important to analyze those clues. Ebola’s close relationship to monkeys contains key knowledge that could hold the secret to its success. Paying close attention to how Ebola is spreading and mutating could lead researchers to the answer for preventing the contraction of it. Discovering where and how the virus first emerged could lead to Ebola’s end.

Although Ebola caught the world’s attention during the 1995 outbreak in Zaire, the first outbreak occurred in 1976. As the chart below displays, 71% of the people infected died as a result of Ebola during this first outbreak (Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 56 (2): 247-270, 1978). With the current outbreak, this ratio has dramatically decreased as a result of scientific research leading to early detection, but the current infected population is more than 20 times the amount of any previous outbreak and this number continues to grow as no vaccine exists to prevent the disease.

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.

As with any infectious disease, whether it originates from a virus, bacterium, or fungi, there is the possibility that it will become an epidemic. For centuries, deadly diseases have threatened to infect and possibly eradicate mankind. The Ebola virus, which causes an extremely fatal hemorrhagic fever, is considered to be one of the most aggressive contagions in the world. The Ebola virus is a member of a family of RNA viruses known as, “Filoviridae” and is composed of multiple distinct subspecies (Bausch et al. 2007). It causes Ebola Virus Disease, a fairly new disease that plagues multiple poor countries within Africa. The virus mainly attacks the lymphatic system, but also severely damages the reproductive and reticuloendothelial systems. The Ebola virus disease causes muscle pain, weakness, limited kidney and liver function and extreme blood loss due to failure of blood clotting.

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

The records and prediction of the world health organization for the number of people that would be infected by the pandemic in the near future.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define epidemic as “the occurrence of more cases of disease than expected in a given area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time.” Epidemic of an infectious disease can be precipitated by a change in the host population, for example, an increase in the density of a vector species or an introduction of a new parasite due to an ecological disaster (flooding, famine, earthquake, etc). Epidemic can also be caused by human behavior (population growth and migration, war, sexual behavior, urban decay, etc), international travel (movement of goods and people), technology and industry (widespread use of antibiotics, organ/tissue transplantation, food processing/packaging, etc), and microbial evolution (adaptation of microbial organism to the environment). In the recent years, delayed or inadequate prevention programs or lack of effective communications between the public health agencies has contributed to the insurgence of epidemics.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the swine flu in the U.S., or the botulism outbreak in Ohio. What did they all have in common? They were all dealt with by epidemiologists. Now what is an epidemiologist? An epidemiologist, in briefest terms, is a person in the health profession who studies the causes and patterns of disease in humans, with the intent of reducing risks of “negative health outcomes” usually by way of research and implementation of health policy (“Epidemiologists” U.S. Bureau). Most epidemiologists are heavily involved in lab work. They analyze data and send it to health practitioners and the public. They often work for state governments where they address public health issues or abroad investigating diseases

In the current outbreak, researchers believe patient zero, Emile Ouamouno, a two-year-old boy from a village in the southwestern region of Guinea. The virus spread from Emile Ouamouno to his siblings, mother, and grandmother. Reports show that the virus spread outside of the village after several people attended the grandmother’s funeral. The spreading of the virus continued with a midwife who then passed the disease along to relatives in another village and to the healthcare worker who was treating her. The health care worker was then treated at a Hospital in Macenta Guinea, which led to her doctor contracting Ebola and taking the virus back to his family 83 miles away from the hospital (Yan, Smith). Unfortunately, it is still unknown how young Emile contracted the

With over ten thousand people dead, the Ebola virus is a very serious and dangerous virus found mostly in some parts of Africa. The Ebola virus is a filovirus that can be deadly if left untreated, and one of the first cases of Ebola was documented at the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Ebola virus can be transmitted from person to person in several ways, one way is by having contact through the skin or through bodily fluids with someone who has the virus (WebMD, 2014). The virus is first obtained by being in contact with an infected animal. Then once a person has been infected by the virus, they spread it to other people. The symptoms of the Ebola virus is reported to be similar to the flu in the early days of being infected.

6,500 people in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone have obtained Ebola according to the World Health Organization, 3,000 people or more have died. The epidemic of Ebola spreading is a threat to Africa and other countries that’s healthcare isn’t strong enough to combat a disease alone (Burgess). This means the United States must step in to prevent the spread of this epidemic to prevent some estimates of the worst case scenario. The United States is morally responsible for the health of others and by containing the epidemic to these few countries; it will potentially save the United States and other allied countries with the US.

There is no doubt that some of the most feared organisms on this planet are invisible to the human eye. People are both fearful and fascinated by how such tiny microorganisms, such as viruses, can cause the decimation of whole populations of both humans and various animals. At the current moment, the worst outbreak of the Ebola virus that has ever happened is occurring in West Africa. This disease is so frightening because it can quickly result in a terrible, agonizing death of any unfortunate soul that has become infected. This specific virus can quite literally cause the liquefaction of the organs within the human body. As Ebola takes hold of many villages and towns in West Africa, surrounding countries are scrambling to send supplies and aid workers in an attempt to stop the spread of such a lethal virus. The Ebola virus first made its way to the United States this past October, sending many U.S. citizens in to a state of hysteria out of fear that an Ebola epidemic will occur on American soil. As the death toll of the recent outbreak keeps rising steadily, only time will tell if the virus can be stopped in its track before spreading across the globe to infect inhabitants in all corners of the world.