Student’s name
Professor’s name
Course
Date

Ebola
The disease was first reported in Zaire (present Democratic Republic of Congo), thus its former Zaire Ebola virus. Many people have succumbed to the Ebola virus as a result of Ebola virus disease. Just like other Ebola viruses, the Ebola virus (EBOV), result in serious hemorrhagic fever in humans and it has been the cause of thousands of deaths especially in West Africa. But compared to other viruses, the Ebola virus has the highest mortality rate with an average of more than 80%. The fact that there have been numerous outbreak cases of the Ebola viruses explains the high levels. As a result of confusing it with malaria, Ebola cases were frequently treated with quinine. The first verified case of Ebola was reported on August, 1976 in Yambuku. (Team, p.223). The virus can also be transmitted through body fluids. The paper seeks to analyze Ebola in terms of origin, causes, symptoms and the preventive measures that should be taken.
Apart from humans, Ebola has been found in other nonhuman primates such as monkeys and chimpanzees especially in Africa. But in other places such as the Philippines, the virus has been found in pigs. It, therefore, means that, on some occasions, the viruses is transmitted to humans from animals. People who butcher and eat infected animals in are at high risks of contracting the virus. Experts who have worked on infected animals have also been affected due to contact with the animal’s blood. Person to person transmission becomes active in various cases especially when people are taking care of the loved ones. Some even become infected as they prepare the deceased for burial rights. (Team, p.500). Those in the medical field can be infected if they fail to use protective materials such as gloves and surgical masks. If contaminated needles are not sterilized, Ebola virus can be transmitted from one individual to another.
In some of the African countries, there are many medical centers that are not well-equipped. The medical personnel uses unsterilized needles to inject the patients who visit such medical centers. As a result, the virus continues to spread. Also, the paraphernalia used to handle Ebola virus victims is not properly disposed. This results in easy contact with those instruments thus the increased spread of the virus. There are various symptoms that are connected to the Ebola virus. Whereas some symptoms are common during the first phase of the infection, there are others that become severe, over time. During the first five days of infection, there are some early signs and symptoms that include; muscle and joint aches, body becomes weak, fever and severe headaches. But over time, time the symptoms change levels. (Team, p.867).
The common ones are vomiting, and nausea accompanied by diarrhea with blood. Also, the infected people have raised rush and red eyes. Chest pains are also rampant especially during coughs. There is also uncontrollable bleeding from body orifices such as; the nose, ears, eyes and the rectum. Apart from the openings, Ebola virus results to stomach aches and internal bleeding. There are risk factors that are associated with Ebola virus. The risk factors are the activities that increase the risks of becoming infected. Since Ebola is prevalent in Africa, in some African countries, visiting or working in such countries exposes a person to the risks of getting infected. There are also some countries where Ebola is likely to affect. If there is an Ebola epidemic in A, then chances are higher that the people of the neighboring country (B) will become infected. People who work include operating on animals for the purpose of research, are likely to contract Ebola. Medical researchers who work on animals without masks and gloves are likely to contract the virus especially if the animals that are being operated contain a virus. Working on such animals becomes a risk factor.
After some members of the family contract the virus, other members tend to provide care for them. But this is another risk factor because of the contact. After death, members preparing for the funeral are at higher risks of contracting the disease. This is because; they develop direct contact with the body. Sharing personal items with an infected person is also a risk factor because it increases the chances of contracting the virus. (Dhillon, p.1409). Therefore, it is important to avoid traveling to countries that had Ebola outbreaks unless proven otherwise. Medical personnel and family members who provide medical and personal care to the infected persons should always have protective gear such as gloves and surgical masks. This will help decrease the chances of becoming infected. The same should be observed by those who operate on animals for the purpose of research. They should always be in suitable gears.
The Ebola virus is usually accompanied with complications. In other words, as the disease progresses, there are some effects connected to it. Ebola virus results in deliriums and seizures. Deliriums are hallucinations where the victim begin to see things that do not really exist. The most common complication is bleeding, where the infected person produces blood from all body orifices. The orifices include; eyes, ears and also the rectum. Shock also accompanies Ebola virus. Since it is a dangerous disease, those who have contacted the virus become shocked and, as a result, it becomes a predictor factor for the demise of the victim. The virus can also result in a coma. Coma refers to the state of being unconscious for a long time without any response. But the main reason Ebola claims many lives is because, it interferes with a person’s immune system of the body, making it difficult to mount an adequate defense. But it doesn’t mean that all those who contract Ebola ill eventually succumb to the disease because there are those who survive. (Team, p.476).
There are also complications to those who survive the deadly disease. The recovery is usually slow, and it may take several months for those who were infected to recapture their initial strength and energy. (Team, p.487). This is because, some of the Ebola viruses remain in the body even after recovery. The victims may experience complication such as hair loss. There are also cases of fatigue and frequent headaches. As a result of bleeding through the eyes, the recovering person may suffer from eye inflammation. Diarrhea results in weakness because of water loss. Due to this, the recovering may experience weakness during the first days of recovery. Depending on the severity, some victims experience sensory changes during their recovery. Ebola is also associated with hepatitis. This is mainly because of the virus damages the liver.
When approached by Ebola victims, medical personnel may have a difficult time trying to treat complications such as fever because the early signs usually resemble the symptoms of their common diseases such as malaria and typhoid. But when the medical personnel suspect that a person has the Ebola virus, blood tests are quickly conducted for the purpose of identifying the virus. Some of the tests carried out by the medical practitioners include; the “enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PRC)”. (Mishra, p.365).
ELISA involves the use of antibodies and color for the purpose of identifying a substance. A sample of the blood perceived to be having the Ebola virus is attached to a selected surface. Then, the antibody is applied to the blood sample. Later, the antibody is connected (link) to an enzyme. At the end of the test, a substrate to the enzyme is added. If the color of the substrate changes, then there is the presence of the Ebola virus. (Mishra, p.369).
Even though there are no antiviral medications that have been demonstrated to be effective, the medical personnel recommend some supportive approaches to those who have been infected by a virus. (Enserink, p.300). Enormous amount of blood is lost due to diarrhea and the continuous bleeding. Therefore, the medical personnel may introduce sessions for the patient in order to replace the lost blood. Fluids are also provided especially if the person who had the virus was in a coma. The fluids assist the body in performing normally. As a result of shock that is as a result of the Ebola virus, blood pressure of the victim tends to rise. Therefore, the health personnel ensures that blood pressure is maintained. Also, Ebola victims develop problems in breathing. In other words, they might develop problems within their respiratory systems. To help mitigate the effects of such complication, the medical personnel provide oxygen to the victims if circumstances demand it.
The finest way to fight the Ebola virus is to understand how persons can protect themselves and others from the virus. Therefore, preventive measures focus on helping the general population from contacting the virus. One of the best way to prevent Ebola is to avoid countries where there have been Ebola outbreaks. Before making any trips to Africa, it is important to conduct a comprehensive research on matters concerning research and other diseases. The research can be achieved by checking on the websites that are related to disease situations in the world. There are some websites that are frequently updated on issues concerning epidemics. Being aware of the country’s situation is an effective way of prevention yourself and family from the deadly virus.
Simple routines can also help to keep away from the Ebola virus. (Sullivan, p.503). Just like other diseases such as typhoid, keeping the hands clean is an effective way of keeping the virus away. Just use soap and water, and when there is no water, there are other hand rubs that are available. Washing of hands is a simple routine, and the general population sometimes ignores it. But if people adopt such simple tasks, the Ebola virus can be kept away.
There is the transmission of the Ebola virus from animals to humans. It is, therefore, important to avoid meat from such animals. If the target country for a visit is common with bush meat, avoiding the meat can be an effective way of avoiding Ebola. (Enserink, p.233). Avoid meat from animals such as monkeys and chimpanzees because they are known to be carriers of the Ebola virus in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone. People visiting such countries should beware of the meat in the market places.
Even if they are your family members, it is important to avoid contact with the ill people. Taking such action helps to prevent the spreading of the Ebola virus. This goes especially to those who provide care for Ebola victims because the chances of contacting the victim’s saliva and blood, are usually very high. The caretakers may also contact the victim’s tissues and body fluids especially when the victim has external injuries. This is the reason protective gears should be worn whenever attending to Ebola victims. They should also be isolated to areas where there is no population.
People should be cautious when handling the bodies of the diseased. This is because, even if the victims are dead, the Ebola virus is still active. Therefore, people who are conducting the burial rites for the victims should be in appropriate preventive equipment. Again, infection-control procedures should be followed especially by the health personnel. They should always be in protective gears when dealing with Ebola cases. They should put on gloves, masks and also eye shields in order to avoid fluid contact. It is also the duty of the health personnel to isolate the persons who have been infected by the Ebola virus from other. Disposing of all the materials that have been used to handle the Ebola victim should be done adequately. It is also important to sterilize other items before they are used again.
There have been efforts by various research institutes all over the world as they try to come up with vaccines against Ebola, but they have not been successful. But with the available preventive measures, people who live in the most affected places such as Sierra Leon and Democratic Republic of Congo should be in a position to mitigate if not eliminate, the devastating effects of Ebola. This should be achieved by taking initiatives such as avoiding the game meat. They can survive without game meat because there are other food alternatives in those countries. (Team, p.964).
Conclusion
Just like other viral diseases, Ebola can be prevented. Taking preventive measures is more important than trying to cure it. Whereas many countries have the perception that Ebola is a disease for Africa, truth should be told that the virus can ‘wipe’ the whole world within a short time. It is, therefore, vital for people to take initiatives for the purpose of prevention themselves from Ebola. Tasks such as washing of hands and avoiding game meat are usually ignored, but they are effective as far as preventing Ebola I concerned. Also, in countries where game meat is highly appreciated, people should avoid contact with animals that are known to be carriers of the infection. And infected population should always be isolated from other people in order to avoid the spreading of the virus. As scientists try to come up with vaccines that can help prevent Ebola, people should make the preventive approaches that are already available.

Works Cited

Team, WHO Ebola Response. "Ebola virus disease in West Africa—the first 9 months of the epidemic and forward projections." N Engl J Med 371.16 (2014): 181-945.

Sullivan, Nancy J., et al. "Development of a preventive vaccine for Ebola virus infection in primates." Nature 408.6812 (2000): 505-609.

Enserink, Martin. "New Vaccine And Treatment Excite Ebola Researchers." Science 302.5648 (2003): 141-552. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.

Mishra, Baijayantimala. "The Threat Of Ebola: An Update." Indian Journal Of Medical Microbiology 32.4 (2014): 364-370. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2014

Dhillon, Ranu S., Devabhaktuni srikrishna, and Jeffrey Sachs. “Controlling Ebola: Next Steps.” Lancet 384.9952 (2014): 1409-1411. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.