The year 2014 was marked by a big
Ebola outbreak in Africa. Unfortunately, events with negative consequences are
usually the ones that get major attention of the world and are remembered for a
long time. The Ebola outbreak took so many lives and instilled fear throughout
the world. The reason I have chosen this story is because I want people to know
more about this terrible disease and I want to pay homage to the victims.
The most severely affected
countries were Sierra Leone (10561 cases, 3216 deaths), Guinea (2920 cases,
1913 deaths) and Liberia (8643 cases, 3700 deaths). (Fig. 1) The numbers shown
represent suspected case and death counts reported by World Health Organization
(WHO) by January 31, but they admit that the figures are underestimates,
because of the difficulty in collecting the data.
Fig. 1 Map of infected countries
These countries have very weak health systems and few resources. In more developed countries it is easier to fight diseases and limit the outbreak, because there are more available resources. For this reason, it is very important that poor countries get all the help they need in order to avoid further outbreaks.
The first cases of a mysterious
disease with a high death rate were reported in March in the south-eastern
regions of Guinea. Of the first 86 cases, 59 people died. By the end of the
month, the disease had crossed the border into Liberia. In May it was confirmed
also in Sierra Leone. In June MSF International (Doctors without borders)
described the disease as out of control.
Ebola virus disease (EVD) (Fig.
2), or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a severe illness that is often fatal. Ebola
was discovered in a village near the Ebola River in Zaire (currently the
Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1976.
Fig. 2 Ebola virus
It is unknown how the virus appears in a human at the start of an outbreak;
it is probably through contact with an infected animal, such as a fruit bat or
primate. This virus spreads through human to human transmission by
direct contact with the blood, secretion or other bodily fluids from infected
people. People can get infected also through contact with a recently contaminated item or surface. It is not
clear how long the virus exists on surfaces, but some evidence suggests that it
can last up to six days. The virus on surfaces can be killed by bleach and
chlorine. Ebola is not spread through the air or by water. Furthermore, there
is no evidence of transmission by insects.
The incubation period is 2 to 21 days, but the average is 8 to 10 days.
Humans become infectious when they develop symptoms. First symptoms are
fatigue, fever, muscle pain, weakness, severe headache, followed by diarrhea,
vomiting, internal and external bleeding. (Fig. 3) Patients die from
dehydration and multiple organ failure. It is unclear why some patients survive
and others die from this disease, but patients who die usually have a poor
immune response to the virus. Early symptoms could be symptoms of other
diseases, so it is difficult to diagnose Ebola early on.
Fig. 3 Symptoms
There is no cure for Ebola, but
with early medical support some people’s bodies are able to develop antibodies
to fight it off. These antibodies last for at least 10 years. Infected patients
need to be rehydrated and isolated from other people, and local and state
health departments need to be contacted immediately. Diagnostic tests available
are ELISA (Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and PCR
(Polymerase chain reaction). There is no standard treatment for Ebola, only
supportive therapy is available. Researchers are trying to find an effective
vaccine against this virus by using several experimental methods.
Unfortunately, there is no vaccine available currently.
Medical workers are the ones that
are the most exposed and often get infected, because they spend a lot of time
treating infected patients. This can occur especially if they are not wearing
appropriate protective equipment, such as full-body suits, gloves and goggles.
(Fig. 4) Instruments they are using should be disposable, or if not, they must
be sterilized before being used again. Not following the protocol can cause the
outbreak to amplify.
Fig. 4 Medical staff
One of the best ways to fight the
virus is washing hands and improving hygiene. It is important not to touch
anything in a public place that could have become contaminated.
One survivor told the BBC his
story. His symptoms started with headaches, diarrhea, pains in his back and
vomiting. The first doctor he saw said it was Malaria. After he was told that
he had the Ebola virus. A short while after he was admitted to the hospital for
treatment he started feeling better. He said: “This was a lesson on a spiritual
level and it has changed the way I look at life. The short time we spent in
hospital has really transformed us. I feel lucky. I feel very happy to be
alive.” (BBC News Africa, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27112397)
The Ebola outbreak is an issue of
global significance, because if we don’t do something concrete about it, it is
going to spread all around the world.
Here you can see some explanations about the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
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