Transcript Ebola Virus
By Adam Spofford Blue Science 630s Ebola virus is a complex virus that destroys the walls of arteries and some other connective tissue. There are five known types: Zaire Ebola virus, with the highest fatality rate at 90%, Sudan Ebola virus, with nobody knowing what transmitted it to humans, Reston Ebola virus, from crab-eating macaques, Côte d’Ivore Ebola virus, with only one human case, and Bundibugyo Ebola virus, with only one outbreak. There is also some discussion about what actually kills you. Some people think the stomach acid falls out your stomach, others say that you internally bleed to death. I personally think it has something to do with your brain. There are a few symptoms of the Ebola virus. They include fever, malaise, muscle pain, and the inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Also, after six days of vomiting and bloody diarrhea, there will be some Maculopapular rash and bleeding at body orifices. The incubation period is also five to eighteen days. A full list is: abdominal pain, fever, bleeding from orifices, headache, bloody vomit, Maculopapular rash, joint and muscle pain, inflammation of the pharynx, coagulopathy , chest pain, central nervous system involvement (rare), dry and sore throat, hemorrhagic diathesis, hiccups, non-bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. You seriously do NOT want to get this disease. Ebola is caused by the Ebola virus. It can be transmitted by bodily fluids, and you can catch it from its carrier (unknown) by merely brushing it. In some cases, it was caused by reusing dirty hospital needles. Scientists still don’t know what the Ebola carrier is. The currently known way of transmitting Ebola is through bodily fluids. And with nasty symptoms such as bloody vomit and orifice bleeding, it is pretty darn easy to transmit it during the symptoms period. It is often mistaken for malaria, typhoid fever, dysentery, or influenza. To prevent it, if you seem to have any of these diseases, tell your doctor to check if it is Ebola. Before scientists studied it in depth, there were vaccines for Ebola, but they have a six-month work period and are therefore impractical for an epidemic. However, in 2008 they completed a short-working vaccine. To prevent getting the virus, never touch used hospital tools or an extreme amount of sheep, cow, or goat blood (such as a brain as a hands-on science class activity). 30,000 creatures were tested and not a one had a trace of ebolavirus. But strangely, the decaying carcasses had massive amounts. Personally, I think it has something to do with omnivores that don’t hunt because they would be able to contaminate the carcasses. Bats are considered the most likely carrier. Ebola in bat lung There is no standard treatment for Ebola hemorrhagic fever. It is mainly supportive and is basically replacing bodily fluids, especially water and blood. And really, all insurance covers is the hole in the floor from the stomach acid. The only possible cure was Morpholino antisense drugs, until recently. There have been some recent experiments on monkeys (because of their resemblance to humans) and Stable Nucleic Acid Lipid Particles provide “complete protection”. •www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=6490 (transmit, epidemiology, treatments) •emedicine.medscape.com/article/216288-overview (symptoms) •http://cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/Fact_Sheets/Ebola_Fact_Boo klet.pdf (symptoms, causes, transmit, treatments)