Ebola, or a form of hemorrhagic fever, is a fatal virus spread through contact of bodily
fluids and can be found all over the world and should be feared by everyone. Although the virus
cannot be spread through sweat or tears it can be spread through any other bodily fluids. This
horrid virus has the capability of killing a person just as quickly as they become infected with it.
First discovered in 1976 on the African continent, Ebola continues to take lives of many today.
Although the illness is mostly found in third world countries, such as Uganda and Sudan, and
festers in areas where the host species lives; it is possible for Ebola to be brought into an
unaffected region by a human or animal host. ”Non- human primates are highly susceptible to
the lethal effects of the virus therefore do not represent a natural reservoir for the EBOV
infection” (Taylor& Francis 47). There are no treatments or vaccines to prevent Ebola from
entering one’s body or stop the infection once it has been contracted thus, Ebola can be
considered as an incurable disease.
Not only does Ebola take over the bodies of humans, it is found in numerous species of
primates and rodents classifying Ebola as a zoonotic virus. This means that the disease can
affect humans and animals alike. Hemorrhagic fever has similar symptoms as any other fever,
including chills and sweating, but what makes it different is that is causes bleeding from
basically every orifice of one’s body such as the mouth, ears, and eyes. A person who has
contracted the virus will experience organ failure throughout their body. One can also become
delirious, go into a coma, or start having uncontrollable seizures. Furthermore, the Ebola virus
attacks the blood clotting cells, so once the bleeding of an area begins, there is no stop to it,
and the virus achieves success in killing their host. Also, if that victim is a pregnant woman, the
virus leads to unprompted abortion of the fetus and causes hemorrhaging of the mother
resulting in death of both of them (R.C Locsin 157). Even after death, the host body is still highly
infectious and must be cremated to kill the virus. Not everyone who comes in contact with
Ebola face death, as there are survivors in many of the major cases of Ebola. However, anyone
who encounters this horrendous virus must suffer through each and every unbearable
symptom which are simply ruthless in their own sense.
Currently we have not isolated it like we have smallpox, rubella etcetera. The reason
why we have not is because we do not have a vaccine for this complex protein. Scientists are
working harder than ever to find a vaccine for this disease because the fear of another country
weaponizing is just uncomprehendable on how much destruction this biological weapon could
do (FernandoL.M…). Any country that came into contact with this would be facing an epidemic
to say the least there would be no stopping it. The virus could decimate an entire country or
continent of people depending on how it was released and spread by people. The incubation
period of Ebola is estimated to be between three to 11 days which means that the virus can
already be can already be in the host before seeing symptoms (R.C.Locsin 157). The time of
contracting the virus until death is appromatley 48 hours. The fatality rate is between 50 -90%
of the victim who has contracted it (Rozzano C.Locsin).
There have been some recent outbreaks in Africa in the past few years. There are
different strains of the virus which affect the person differently all depending on where they
have contracted the Ebola disease. Some strands are less deadly, but on the other hand, there
are a few strands that are just plain fatal. In the Bundibugyo province of Uganda there were 93
presumed cases of the Ebola infection. However only 56 of those cases were confirmed in the
laboratory and of those 56 only 37 had been killed. The mortality rate of this case in 2007 was
66%. How some of these people survived were because their body’s immune system fought off
the disease. The ones who do survive have to live with the effects of the virus long after they
have eradicated it from their bodies. Why this was so deadly and infectious is because in the
third world countries in Africa they do not have the medical procedures and virus control
capabilities as we do in the states (Paul Roddy…1-11). Ebola is an extremely deadly disease that
nobody should have to be put through. Their hospitals were no more than tents out in the
middle of nowhere with little and limited supplies to treat the infected. The quarantine tents
we not fully enclosed to keep the virus locked up.
Ebola Hemorrhagic fever is mostly found in the third world countries but can be spread
all over if not properly contained and properly quarantined. Ebola can only be spread through
bodily fluids as of right now it has not jumped to an airborne virus. Still to this day, Ebola does
not have a vaccine to prevent it nor any therapeutic treatments. The virus was found in 1976
and continues to have outbreaks and there is little or no help for the victims besides comfort.
The virus is zoonotic so it needs a natural reservoir to survive in before the disease gets
transmitted to the victims. These natural reservoirs are typically rodents a pig like animals. The
host can have the disease without even knowing it due to its long incubation period and can be
spread very quickly without even them knowing it. This virus is one of the most deadly diseases
anyone can catch because there are no vaccines for it so it is almost certain death if caught.
Works Citied
`Melito, P. L. "The Creation of Stable Cell Lines Expressing Ebola Virus Glycoproteins and the
Matrix Protein VP40 and Generating Ebola Virus-like Particles Utilizing an Ecdysone
Inducible Mammalian Expression System." Ebscohost.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 213.
Roddy, Paul. "Clinical Manifestations and Case Management of Ebola." Ebscohost.com. N.p., 1
Dec. 2012. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.
Taylor. "Accelerated Vaccination for Ebola." Ebscohost.com. N.p., 7 Aug. 2003. Web. 15 Sept.
2013.