The Outbreak Engulfing Three Countries

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.

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.

What was usually a disease contained in regions of sub-Saharan Africa became a global worry. Although the outbreak started in Guinea, it quickly spread to two neighboring countries. From these three countries, cases were then transmitted to the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom. No vaccine was available to stop the spread of Ebola. This deadly disease went from being a problem in only a small region of the world to being seen in three noncontiguous countries, which could have sowed the seeds of a pandemic had the cases not been contained. As a global community, we gain from our interactions with all citizens, but we must also be aware that we can also suffer from diseases that we think of as only affecting the “others.” If we do not help those “others,” we may become part of

UNICEF officer, Suzanne Mary Beukes provided a clearer insight to how poor the country of Guinea is when she wrote, "The world has virtually quarantined a country in which 43 percent of people were already living on less than $1.25 a day prior to this health crisis” (Gholipour, 2014). The countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone (the countries where outbreaks primarily occurred), are some of the poorest countries in the world as a result of their recent civil war and the damaged health and education infrastructures that followed. (“Factors that Contributed to the Spread of Ebola,” n.d., para. 10). The poor infrastructures led to the delayed transportation of patients and lab work to labs and hospitals in addition to the lack of communication between health facilities. In addition to the lack of health facilities, there was shortage of healthcare workers. “Prior to the outbreaks, the three countries (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) had a ratio of only one to two doctors per nearly 100,000 population” (“Factors that Contributed to the Spread of Ebola,” n.d., para. 15). The poverty in these cities and countries lead people to want to move to a better standard of living, be treated for the virus, and look for food &

Despite modest health improvements in the decade or so following the end of active conflict, the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic revealed ongoing systemic issues. The global involvement in the Mano River region countries, and particularly the role of the World Health

As the earth has mounted its immune response against the human species" (Preston, 406) in the form of a filovirus which was deemed biologically dormant both in the late nineties’ outbreak and currently, the ethical implications have infected society’s ability to rid itself of Ebola. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone owe the International Monetary Fund a combined payment of three hundred and seventy-two million dollars that were allocated to repress the epidemic (Duval). Although a large portion of the countries have declared themselves Ebola free the remnants of the outbreak remain in the form of economic poverty and a newly built health care frame that does not account for the lack of health care workers, consideration of cultural traditions and was not implemented in a timely manner.

This Ebola outbreak taught us many factors of public health that we simply ignore daily, like washing hands. These viruses are easily transmitted from person to person, through their blood or body-fluids. Therefore it is very important to research about our public health around us, for everyone’s health and future. The Ebola outbreak showed how the world is very ignorant of their public health. It is better for them to know all of these tragedies and educate themselve to prevent from any other outbreaks that will take place in the future. The plan to release more information and persuade to adjust West African culture will definitely make public healthier, view the world differently, and our future generations will learn the importance of learning

Ebola Virus disease (EVD) is a severe and often fatal illness in humans according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) (WHO, 2016). Although initially originating in wild animals it spreads through the human population via human to human transmission of bodily fluids with the average casualty rate being about 50% (WHO, 2016). The key to prevention and control of Ebola outbreaks is through community engagement, safe burials and good health centre prevention measures (WHO, 2015). Two countries will be examined one has experienced multiple cases of Ebola, Sierra Leone, and the other a few cases, the United States of America. The

On December 26, 2013, in a small village in Guinea, a anomalous disease began spreading. An 18-month-old boy fell victim to the illness characterized by fever, black stools, and vomiting and would soon die from it. The boy is said to have contracted the disease from infected bats that were closer to human settlements due to deforestation. By January 2014, several members of the boy’s family and those who had helped them had developed similar symptoms resulting in death. Soon after, the disease had spread to those who had attended funerals or took care of ill relatives causing this pattern of exposure continued. An alert on January 24th was raised when the head of the Meliandou health post informed district health officials of cases of severe diarrhoea with a fatal outcome. An investigation was setup where a team of health officials found what

The 2014 epidemic was the first truly transnational outbreak of Ebola, the longest in duration, and the first with a human case diagnosed on American soil. (Wilson, 2015, 1) This was a pivotal moment of global health, as it occurred at the formal end of the UNMDGs, some of which aimed to improve health conditions in vulnerable countries. (Wilson, 2015, 3) These and other MDGs were set back by this epidemic, (UNDP 2014) exposing the role that chronically weak and underfunded public health systems played in disrupting perceptions of global health security. In an epoch characterized by neoliberal globalization, vulnerabilities caused by interdependency between the Global South are easy to identify, producing discourses of explanation,

On March 23, the WHO’s Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) released the first Ebola report on the emergence of the disease in Guinea. At this time, the WHO sent teams into the field to manage and trace cases. It also notified WHO labs across Africa to prepare to diagnose cases. As the prevalence of Ebola grew, the WHO maintained contact with its regional offices in West Africa. AFRO’s regional director, Dr. Luis Sambo, called for greater epidemiological aid and implementation of the IHR’s alert system requirements. Between March and May of 2014, the WHO sent more than 100 experts to aid in the control of the outbreak. A cross border surveillance program began in June to limit the spread of the disease between the countries. During this time, the WHO continued meeting with government leaders in West Africa, AFRO representatives, and relevant organizations including the CDC and MSF. In June, MSF called for the WHO to increase its response. Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the WHO responded by upgrading the outbreak a Level 3 emergency. A Level 3 grade constitutes a greater WHO role in the outbreak, particularly through an increase in resources

Prevention of the Ebola virus is more useful than the treatments. Improving sanitation is an important thing to do in rural African countries. Any victims need to be isolated as soon as possible. Quarantining of infected people from others plays a major role. People who have been in close contact with the infected

These factors were the focus on this study, but further research into the Sierra Leone healthcare system and the impact of NGOs are just two others that could continue to shed light on epidemic. More concrete conclusions could be drawn if more data, especially malnutrition data, was accessible from the pre-Civil War time period. This study did not show that malnutrition and a density packed population caused the Ebola outbreak, but instead demonstrated that the Civil War influenced these factors and how they in turn created a more susceptible environment for the outbreak to occur. This information could be used in a variety of ways with the main goal of preventing this situation from occurring in the future. Understanding the bushmeat industry and why it is used could used to influence a focus on food production. There is a pressing need to stop the eating of bushmeat and for this to occur, the population needs access to affordable food. In addition to malnutrition, an understanding on the impact of population density on the spread of the virus will be vital if another outbreak ever occurs in an urban area. If researchers combine knowledge of factors that contribute to population density increases as well as the impacts of the increased population density on disease, they have the ability to create a bigger

While there is increasing evidence that HIV incidence is in decline among general populations worldwide Eastern Europe and Central Asia are notable exceptions For example HIV infections have increased 13% in the region since 2006 [2] .

Animals are being shipped by road and air and are not being quarantined properly if at all. This threatens any country that relies on livestock for food security. ASF is an extremely resistant virus and can spread quickly among populations that are kept in poor sanitary conditions. Many experts agree that diseases such as ASF will continue to spread throughout African pig farms if proper sanitary conditions are not met and proper quarantine's aren't administered to try and curb the spread of this disease. Since there is no vaccine available, destroying infected animals is the primary method for eliminating the disease. In a different outbreak in Cote d'Ivore, almost 22,000 pigs were killed by ASF and another 100,000 were slaughtered in an attempt to eradicate the disease.(2) Yet another recent outbreak of ASF has surfaced in West African country of Benin on the Nigerian border. Authorities reported almost 3000 pigs dead and the FAO has sent a team called EMPRES (Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases) to investigate just as they did in both Cape Verde and Cote d'Ivore. (2) The team was put together in an effort to control plant and animals diseases that can stress a countries vital food security issues.