As Ebola spreads across the U.S, it puts the lives of many people in harm’s way. On September 30, 2014, the first Ebola case diagnosed in the United States was reported, and on October 8 the patient passed away from the illness.Ebola is an infectious and fatal disease marked by fever and severe internal bleeding. Ebola is spread through contact with infected body fluids by a filo virus, whose normal host species is unknown.
This rare and deadly disease first originated in 1976 during an outbreak in the democratic republican of the Congo, in several African countries. With this being a deadly virus, there are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines, only supportive therapy; however, two potential candidates are currently undergoing evaluation.
The Ebola virus has four different types of viruses: SUDV, Tai forest virus, Reston virus, Ebola virus, and Bundibugyo virus. The Ebola virus, also known as EBOV, has the highest death rates ranging from 57% to 90%.
Symptoms and signs of Ebola virus disease has an incubation period that ranges from 2 to 21 days beginning with abrupt fever (greater than 101.5 Fahrenheit), headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat and weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, hiccups and unexplained internal or external bleeding in many patients.
Ebola can be spread through a few simple ways. It could spread from human to human by direct contact with blood, organs, secretions and the mucous membrane or broken skin of an infected person. Another common way it is spread is through physical contact with an individual through body fluids.
Catching the virus could be as easy as consuming “Bush Meat”. Bush Meat is the meat of wild animals like hoofed animals, primates and rodents. It is believed that fruit bats may be the natural host of the Ebola virus in Africa, passing on the virus to other animals.
“Ebola is not transmitted by air. It is not an airborne infection”, said Dr. Edward Goodman of TexasHealthPresbyterianHospital in Dallas.
People who make regular contact with the infected such as, health care workers, family members, and friends are increasing the likeliness of also becoming infected. Chances of getting Ebola increase if a person travels to Africa were Ebola virus outbreaks have occurred.
The World Health Organization puts the number of deaths caused by Ebola approximately 4,493.
Meanwhile in Texas, a nurse wearing a mask, gown, shield and gloves was still able to catch the virus while caring for a dying patient with the disease. After testing positive at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health officials are still trying to find out exactly how she caught it.
“I see the reasons to dampen down public fears”, a virologist, Dr. Phillip Russell, says. “But scientifically were in the middle of the first experiment of multiple, serial passages of Ebola virus in man… God knows what this virus is going to look like. I don’t.”
As the fatal disease is spread by the contact with infected body fluids, it seems that Ebola will be a continuous spread across the nation. There will be no stop to the infestation of all people who come in contact. In no time, the dreadful flu will become a continuous airborne plague that puts fear in the hearts of people all around the world.