Ebola Virus: The Killer And Deadly Virus

A virus can be defined as an infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the cells of a host. Viruses provide a genetic code allowing it to replicate itself, and the host cell provides the necessary energy and raw materials. There are more than 320,000 viruses that are known to cause diseases in humans, but the Ebola virus has been listed as one of the deadliest. The first known human-related cases of Ebola occurred around 1976 during two concurrent outbreaks in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The outbreak that occurred in Congo took place in a village located near the Ebola River, which explains where the disease got its name from. This eventually affected 318 people and lead to the death of 280 of them in an extremely short period of time. The more well-known outbreak of 2014-2016 was reported as the largest and most complex outbreak of the disease since the discovery of the virus in 1976. There were more cases and deaths within this outbreak than any previous ones combined. The total number of reported cases was around 28,600 ending in almost 12,000 deaths within Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Mali, and the United States. At this point Ebola had become an international health emergency which raised questions about how this all happened so fast.

Ebola is considered a zoonotic virus, meaning it originated within animals then continued to spread to humans. Although it has not been made entirely clear how this disease spread from animals to humans, the spread is believed to be the result of direct contact with either an infected wild animal including a variety of money species, chimpanzees, gorillas, baboons or fruit bats that can be found in dense forests in Europe, Australia, Asia, and of course Africa. Though bats and other mammals can harbor this deadly virus, often times symptoms of the disease are not even visible. According to EMBO Molecular Medicine’s article published in 2015, “Exposure to fruit bats is common in the region (Guinea), but the index case may not have been infected by playing in a hollow tree housing a colony of insectivorous free-tailed bats. Bats in this family have previously been discussed as potential sources for Ebola virus outbreaks, and experimental data have shown that this species can in in fact survive experimental infection.” If bats are one of the main sources of the virus, a common way that the people of Africa became infected would be by handling bats that are eaten for food. Grilled and spicy bat soup mixed with vegetables and other ingredients are popular dishes in many Africa regions including Guinea. But researchers have come to the conclusion that the cooking would more than likely kill the virus, so instead the handling of raw bat meat is probably what made it easier for people to get this virus so easily. Ebola is then transmitted into the human population through close and direct physical contact with infected body fluids including blood, saliva, urine, semen, and even in some cases breastmilk. This even includes surface materials that may have been contaminated by any of the body fluids previously listed like bedding and clothing. A number of healthcare professionals have been infected while treated patients with Ebola for that exact reason. In 2014 two nurses from The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who took part in taking care of the first United States Ebola patient eventually went on to battle the deadly disease themselves. This encouraged federal and state health officials to take more caution in order to keep other health care workers safe and free of this virus. Extensive training and endless protective equipment were put into place. Health care workers were required to wear at least two layers of gloves, a fully body surgical gown, boots, at least two caps that covered their entire head, a mask and a face shield. I think the idea to put new rules in place for anyone catering to a patient with Ebola or similar symptoms was obviously a good one, but what I don’t understand is why it took for the near death of two nurses for them to be put in place. One of the nurses blames the hospital because they did not adequately prepare her for what she was about to endure. Nina Pham was told to wear a mask, shield, and gloves which wasn’t enough. Two days after the patient she was treating died, Pham was diagnosed with Ebola as well despite being told that she was not at risk of receiving the disease. Pham was later treated in a hospital that was specially equipped to handle Ebola, but it is said that her young age could have played a significant role as to why she was able to overcome the disease.

Symptoms of Ebola can start off with something as simple as a fever and worsen to unexplained internal bleeding. Severe headaches, weakness, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain are also common symptoms. These symptoms may appear as early as 2 days after coming in contact with the virus, but in some cases people didn’t notice any for nearly 21 days. When someone is infected, the virus exhausts immune cells which no longer allows your body to fight against infections. In the summer of 2014 up until around the end of the year, a total of 11 patients were treated in the United States and 8 of them survived. But patients who were not being treated in the United States were not as fortunate when it came to receiving the medical attention they needed. “The treatment of EBO-infected patients consisted mainly of palliative treatment and treatment to avoid cardiovascular collapse and renal insufficiency. During the initial phase of the EBO epidemic in Kikwit, very little patient care was offered. The priority was to stop the epidemic and avoid further spreading among health care workers.” (The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 179) In the United Stated anyone with even that could have potentially came in contact with the disease was treated right away. When used early basic interventions like providing fluids through infusion into the veins significantly improved the chances of survival. But there is currently no legal drug available to treat EVD in people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “those who recover develop antibodies that can last 10 years. It is not known if people who recover are immune for life, and some survivors may have long term complications, such as joint and vision problems”

Although the countries that were hit the hardest by this deadly disease will most likely still remain at risk of future outbreaks, medical professionals in places that aren’t as developed as the United States can respond with more confidence now than fear. Multiple support systems have been put in tact in order to ensure that the governments of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea have reliable resources in the event of any new cases.