Ebola as One of Todays Most Deadly Viruses in the World - Essay Example

?Ebola Virus Even though only just over a thousand people have died from Ebola since the virus was discovered, it is still considered one of the deadliest diseases in the world. This is because of the usual horrific experience someone goes through before dying of the disease. This paper will discuss about the Ebola virus and its history. Also, Ebola has five different strains that each came from separate natural reservoirs. Next, how Ebola is transmitted and what is the natural host. Other ideas that will be touched on include the signs and symptoms of the disease and how it manifests itself. Additionally, possible treatment methods and the structure of the virus will be discussed. The official name for Ebola is simply the Ebola virus. It is a viral type of infection and causes a disease called Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). There are four, possibly five, identified strains of the virus and each one affects a sufferer differently (Williams, 1999). The virus originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, and is named after the Ebola River Valley in the Congo (Williams, 1999). In 1976, the first recognized outbreak occured at a missionary hospital run by Flemish nuns. There were two strains of the virus that were documented at that time: Ebola-Sudan and Ebola-Zaire (EBOZ). These two strains had extremely high infection rates along with high mortality rates (53 percent and 88 percent respectively). At that time, the numbers of infected people only ranged in the hundreds, and as such, was not so well-known yet in the international community. It was not until 1989 that the disease became public knowledge after infected monkeys were imported from the Philippines into Reston, Virginia. This was the third strain of Ebola recognized and it was called Ebola-Reston (EBOR). These were the first cases of Ebola in the United States. Only a small number were infected, and fortunately, none of them ever developed Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). The fourth strain of the Ebola virus, Ebola-Cote d’Ivoire ebolavirus (EBO-CI), was identified in 1994. The discovery came about when a female ethologist accidentally infected herself when examining a dead chimpanzee in Tai Forest, Cote d’Ivoire (Williams, 1999). Just recently, in 2007, there was a newly discovered fifth strain of the Ebola virus, named Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The virus was named this after an outbreak of Ebola in Bundibugyo District, Uganda. The good news is that this strain of the virus was only short-lived. A couple of months after the discovery, it was confirmed by the Uganda Ministry of Health that the epidemic was over. There were only roughly a hundred cases of this strain of the virus, and of those infected, very few actually died from the disease compared to previous strains (39 deaths out of 116 cases – 34% mortality rate). The Ebola virus is typically transmitted by humans having close contact with a host, usually an infected animal (Williams, 1999). After this, the virus can be transmitted to others who come into contact with bodily fluids from the original infected person. Another way that it is transmitted between humans is through reused needles. Many experts believe that the chances of a new epidemic outbreak are low because initial infections usually occur in less populated areas. Additionally, because of the high rates of fatalities, Ebola sufferers demise rapidly, thus preventing a wide number of people coming into contact with the affected Ebola sufferer. Originally, the Ebola virus was though to be transmitted from animals to humans. Scientists have a theory of how the virus goes through the transmission stage. It is thought that bats drop uneaten fruit, which animals such as gorillas and monkeys then go on to consume. This is an indirect way of transmission, starting out with the natural host, and then progressing to the animal population. It is very rare that a human catches the virus from the natural host or reservoirs (Williams, 1999). Specific outbreaks of Ebola can typically be linked to a simple case of a human touching a dead gorilla, monkey, or chimpanzee. Once this first transmission takes place, the virus then transmits itself by person-to-person. Human transmission usually takes place in families, and is also more likely in hospitals and mortuaries, where contact with infected victims is greatest (King, 2010). The signs and symptoms of the Ebola virus can confuse even the most knowledgeable expert. This is because Ebola starts out as a flu-like illness with symptoms of headaches and diarrhea. From the outside, it looks like any ordinary disease because the symptoms are very similar to those of other diseases in tropical Africa. After the initial phase, a very sore throat occurs along with possible rashes. The sore throat can be extremely painful. Also, there is damage to the spleen, kidneys, and liver. Other doctors say that a fever, excessive fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and hiccups are very common warning signs. More specifically, hiccups are a very bad sign that someone has the Ebola virus (Williams, 1999). Ebola can be manifested in a variety of ways. Scientific findings have showed that low counts of white blood cells and platelets in addition to elevated liver enzymes are typical symptoms of an Ebola sufferer. Ebola may not be contagious in its early stages. As symptoms grow worse, bodily fluids, from vomiting, bleeding, and diarrhea, can be a danger. There is not much treatment can do for those who are infected with Ebola. The only thing that can be done is to make sure they don’t dehydrate and to give them intravenous fluids. Electrolytes are extremely important to help the patient replace lost water. Scientists have tested numerous vaccines to cure Ebola; however, as yet, there is no standard treatment available. There has been vaccination testing done in monkeys though and results have proved partially successful. Just last year, the United States Department of Defense funded a study that claims to have successfully given monkeys complete protection from the virus. The lead scientist claims that this discovery may also be used to cure similar viruses. However, it could be years away before a successful cure is found for humans. Infectious Ebola virions are typically 920 nanometres in length and 80 nanometres in diameter (Williams, 1999). The incubation period for the virus is between two and twenty-one days (“Ebola haemorrhagic fever”). Barrier methods must be used when dealing with the Ebola virus in a human to protect an individual from contracting it. Infected Ebola individuals are sometimes referred to as zombies, as their behaviour is considered to be zombie-like (“Viral Zombies”). The reason for this is that the Ebola virus attacks every blood cell and organ in the body, giving the victim a horrifying death. Once someone has died of the virus, it is important to be careful when handling the body, as this could inadvertently cause someone to become infected (King, 2010). It is recommended that dead bodies are cremated so the disease cannot spread. The Ebola virus has a thread-like structure of a filovirus. A virion is copied from the host cell membrane. Virally programmed glycoprotein spikes, ten nanometres and ten nanometres apart, are located on the outer viral envelope of this virion. Every virion has one molecule of linear, single-strand, negative-sense RNA. These strands are roughly 18,960 nucleotides in length. There are no known natural reservoirs of the Ebola virus. However, studies have seemed to show they live in African rainforests and the Western Pacific (“Ebola haemorrhagic fever”). Even though animals are the main source of infection for humans, they are not considered to be a reservoir. Animals are thought to become infected with Ebola the same way humans are; through a direct source or through a chain of events from that source. Ebola infections have so far been linked to direct contact with deceased chimpanzees, monkeys, porcupines, and forest antelope (“Ebola haemorrhagic fever”). Several studies have attempted to find the origin of the Ebola virus. Laboratory tests have told us that bats infected with Ebola do not die. Because this is the case, some people have concluded that bats maintain the virus in tropical forests (Williams, 1999). Ebola is one of today’s most deadly viruses in the world. There is not any immediate danger of a worldwide epidemic though because Ebola does not travel far out of the rainforests of Africa, so we should not be concerned about possible future outbreaks. References “Ebola haemorrhagic fever.” (2008). World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/ King, J.W. et al. (2010, April 20). “Ebola Virus.” Medscape Reference. Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/216288-overview “Viral Zombies.” (n.d.) The Zombie Zodiac. Retrieved from http://www.thezombiezodiac.com/ZombieScience/TZZ-ViralZombies.htm Waterman, T. (1999, March 1). “Tara’s Ebola Site.” Stanford University. Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/group/virus/filo/filo.html Read More