Ebola And Symptoms And Effects Essay Example For Students

Ebola And Symptoms And Effects Essay 1. INTRODUCTIONA. HISTORY OF VIRUS1. AFRICA, ZAIRE2. 1970B. SYMPTOMS AND AFFECTS1. BLEEDING, HEMORRHAGING2. DEATH W/IN 20 DAYSC. CURES1. NONE KNOWND. INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS2. HISTORY OF VIRUSA. WHERE IT STARTED1. SCIENTISTSB. HOW IT IS SPREAD1. NON AIRBORNE2. BODILY CONTACTC. WHERE IT EXISTS TODAY3. SYMPTOMS AND EFFECTSA. SEVERE FEVER, ABDOMINAL PAIN1. INSIDES MELTB. DEATH RATES AND TOTALS2 SURVIVORS, BUT EBOLA VIRUS AS THE CAUSE WAS NOTVERIFIED4. CURESA. NONE KNOWN CURES, RESEARCH BEING PERFORMED ONMONKEYS. Ebola virus is a relatively recently discovered virus, that when it infectshumans, caries with it a 50-90% fatality rate. Symptoms of this deadly virusinclude Sudden Fever, Weakness, Muscle Pain, Headache, Sore Throat, Vomiting,Diarrhea, Rash. Internal results include Limited Kidney Function, Limited LiverFunction, and Internal and External Bleeding. The incubation period for the Ebola virus ranges from 2 to 21 days, dependingupon the method of infection. A direct inoculation of the virus into the bloodstream ofa human will bring about symptoms markedly faster than other forms of less directcontact. The virus is present in the males reproductive fluids, and can be transmittedthrough sexual contact for up to 7 weeks after clinical recovery from the Ebola virus. The Ebola virus can be diagnosed with laboratory testing of blood specimensunder maximum containment conditions because of the high risk of infection to thosehandling infected blood. There is currently no treatment or vaccination available for the Ebola virus. Transmission of the Ebola virus occurs by direct contact with the bodily fluidsof patients infected with the virus. The handling of chimpanzees that are either ill orhave died from the Ebola virus can also transmit the virus. Any suspicion of infection with the Ebola virus should be treated with extremecaution: immediate isolation from other patients and strict barrier nursing techniquesmust be practiced. All instruments, clothing, or biological matter must be eitherdisposed of or thoroughly disinfected immediately. The initial outbreaks of the Ebola virus occurred in 1976. Springing forth fromunknown origins, this virus held the nations of Zaire in fear as it quickly claimed the livesof many of its citizens. As this was the first recorded outbreak of the Ebola virus, themedical community was unsure of how to handle Ebola. The level of care in Zaire duringthis outbreak was very low, and as a result of the many infected victims congregated inpublic areas, the virus continued to spread among the denizens of Zaire. The interveningyears have slowly produced scientific data on the nature of the virus yet treatment is stillunavailable for those infected. The first outbreak, as stated earlier, occurred in Zaire in 1976. This first outbreakwas followed by one in western Sudan, also in 1976. In total, these two outbreaks havebeen traced to the deaths of 340 people resulting from the 550 plus cases that wereidentified in these two nations.After lying dormant for several years the Ebola virus onceagain m ade its presence known in 1979. Once again, no cause was identified as 34 casesof Ebola were identified in Sudan. This occurrence brought the deaths of 22 patients showing a fatality rate of more than 60%, just as in the 1976 outbreaks. The next instance of humans contracting the Ebola virus occurred in 1995. TheEbola Zaire strain was discovered once again on April 10, 1995 when a patienthospitalized for what was believed to be Malaria infected the surgical team during anoperation. Those involved with the operation developed symptoms indicating a viralhaemorrhagic fever disease. This outbreak occurred in the city of Kikwit, Zaire. Althoughthe virus was spreading at a rapid rate, a coordinated effort of international health serviceswas able to contain the outbreak. Present in this coalition of health organizations was theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) and the World Health Organization aided by members of the medical community from France, Belgium, and several so uthernAfrican nations. In this most recent epidemic (defined as all cases occurring from 1 July1995), approximately 233 deaths have been caused, and 293 cases identified as Ebola bringing the fatality rate to nearly 80% in the outbreak of 1995) Ebola was also detected in the United States in 1989, but this strain of the virus, known asEbola Reston, is not harmful to the Homo Sapien population. In 1989 a shipment ofAfrican Green and Rhesus Monkeys arrived in Reston, Virginia from the Philippines. Grapes Of Wrath Essay OpeningFilorviruses. Peters CJ et al. in: Emerging Viruses. S.Morse, Ed., pp 159-75. OxfordUniversity Press, New York. 1991. 15. Filoviruses as emerging pathogens. Peters CJ et al. Seminars in Virology, 94,5:147-154. 16. Sequence analysis of the Ebola virus genome: organization, genetic elements, andcomparison with Marburg. Sanchez et al., Virus Res. 93, 29:215-240. 17. Firsthand clinical observations of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Zaire. Rev. Inf. Dis., 89,11:S-790-793.