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Ebola and Its Dangers

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Submitted By Cdafreek87
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A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates inside of living organisms. viruses can infect all types of living forms from animals humans and other cells and bacteria.There are many harmful viruses in the world however one of the most deadliest virus's known to man is the Ebola virus.The Ebola virus is one of the most difficult to contain or control. It also is one of the fastest killing viruses in the world.

I personally have researched other viruses and diseases in the past for highschool,but Ebola after researching it scares me the most. The ebola virus is a very complex level four virus. Level four viruses are extremely lethal, and there is no cure for them yet, not does there seem to be a cure for them or ebola in the near future. To give you an example of just how lethal level four viruses like ebola are, AIDS is only a level three virus, and requires minimal protection when working with it. The protection required for working with the ebola virus consists of wearing three layers of gloves, and giant space suits. Only people with top government security are allowed into these airtight rooms where this all takes place. The virus is a member of the family filoviridae.Throughout media coverage, talk at work, or just rumors, you tend to think that just by being near someone with the virus that you will contact it.My daughter and niece even play around saying don't touch me or I will get Ebola. However the reality of it is that it can only be contracted through the exchange of body fluids such as sweat, blood, saliva , or semen. Another way the virus can be spread is if someone touches the surface where an infected person's body fluid was present with broken skin. The non fiction book "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston and the movie "Outbreak" in 1995 patterned the Ebola virus. An Outbreak of the virus is the last thing anyone wants.

Ebola is one of the fastest moving and deadliest viruses ever. Along with the speed it has a 90% mortality rate. it takes from 2 to 21 days from the time of infection before a person begins to show symptoms for the first time.Symptoms usually begin with muscle pain or soreness, body aches, sore throat,and fever.The symptoms then progresses to vomiting,diarrhea,bad rash,and internal and externalbleeding.
The virus can kill you by causing you to bleed to death in just a matter of days.There is no vaccine or cure for the virus.Some people believe that the virus is airborne, or that sharing air between two infected humans can lead to spreading the virus.A big problem if not the biggest in the spread of the virus, is the fact that families lose faith in the doctors inability to cure the infected. Therefore people move their love ones from the hospital and take them home to traditional healers which also leads to more spreading, now that they are in contact with others. There is no recorded or documented proof of that. Ebola viruses are found in several African countries. Ebola was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The only animals found to harbor the Ebola virus were bats, specifically, three species of fruit bat: The hammer-headed bat, Franquet's epauletted fruit bat, and the little collared fruit bat. Researchers in Guinea are now sampling bats in that region to see if any test positive for Ebola. The current outbreak has sickened more than 5,000 people, and of these, more than 2,600 people have died, according to the World Health Organization.If bats are the source of the virus, one way people might become infected is by handling bats that are eaten for food, Scientists say. For example Bat soup is a very popular dish in that regionThere is some evidence that, rather than being a virus that is always carried by bats, Ebola is actually the cause of outbreaks in bats. By looking at the virus' genetic material, researchers have found that the same Ebola virus has been carried from bats in Central Africa to bats in West Africa over the past 10 years, Gatherer said.Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa.Although the fear of an Ebola outbreak in our country is very strong right now the outbreak is mainly in different parts of Africa. In Africa however the spreading of the virus is a reality, where many have been dying or are infected with the deadly disease.

Well how do we control something that we have no cure or vaccine for?The best answer for that has been the fast response and care to those who are infected. Medical services along with volunteers are all to thank for risking their lives for the hope of preventing an all out epidemic. Some of the main medical services are, rapid detection of cases of disease, also contact tracing of those who have come in contact with infected individuals. Also the proper and quick disposal of the dead by proper burial or cremation. Treatment also includes what many scientists say is vital for Ebola care Oral Rehydration therapy- which is purposely dehydrating the body and then rehydrating it using salty water and slightly sweetened drinks, or intravenous fluids.These are the best treatments known for a bowl of patients.The world health organization is calling this the biggest Ebola outbreak in history.The first known Ebola outbreak started back in Sudan and Zaire in 1976.Since it's breakthrough in March there have been 759 cases and 467 deaths. Sierra Leone has reported 239 cases and 99 deaths since March. Guinea has repoted 413 cases 303 deaths since March. Liberia has reported 107 cases 65 deaths since March.

Ebola is easily one of the scariest realities that we face today as a race. Safety and precautions are the best we can do. I also think that it is im portant to educate yourself on the topic rather than to run witn what you hear from your peers. Information is the best defense. i learned alot from this research and plan on spreading the knowledge i learned.

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