Science News story of 2014 "The Ebola Virus"

From: Matija Kondic
I am going to explain below about the Ebola virus story of 2014. I am also going to strongly explain why this story is significant and the most important of the year.

I am firstly going to explain below in paragraph form 3 important factors about Ebola below. The Ebola Virus is significant and the most important story of the year because it is the most well - known virus of 2014 (shown in figure 1 below). It's a dangerous virus which started in West Africa and can cause many individuals to suffer and perish in horrible ways said from Kids Health. Scientists have not really found a cure which worries societies all over the world and believing that Ebola will cause an apocalypse said from Inquisitr. The virus has wiped out over 2,000 souls in West Africa such as Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal which has become a total outbreak.

Figure 1. A sample of the Ebola virus under a micro graph from Massachusetts

and Harvard University.

The Ebola outbreak as said from above began in West Africa February 2014. Citizens have basically touched or killed animals for food known as bush meat shown in figure 2 and 3 below. Since Africa is a poor continent people have to eat bush meat in order for survival. Although humans didn’t know that the bush meat animals were infected and contained germs from Facts about Bush meat and Ebola. After people eat the animals they become sick then eventually die. Ebola is not transmitted through the air or spread like colds and flu, it is transmitted when someone touches the body fluids (such as saliva and seaman) of a sick person. The author of Kids Health Neil Izenburg says that the bush meat animals include a series of bats chimpanzees, monkeys, gorillas and antelopes. To me I strongly believe that bush meat is the worst food to eat because it contains deadly germs.    

Figure 2 (above) and Figure 3 (below) show

animals being used as bush meat. Daily food that

individuals in West Africa eat.

The Disease Daily with its author Jane Huston says that Scientists have not found a cure for Ebola in humans which is really serious because without a cure, the Ebola virus could spread to other countries and bring the world to an end. The International Business Times an article by Philip Ross, states that the World Health Organization has recorded that last year Ebola has wiped out 4,877 lives in West Africa. This outbreak could destroy the airline industry because people would be scared that the virus could spread to other countries that they travel to with passengers on board that have traveled form Africa and carry the virus with them secretly. I personally would feel worried that airlines around the world that travel to and from Africa may become bankrupt since I’m a huge fan of the travel industry. Figure 5 below shows South African Airways, an airline that people may no longer travel on.

Figure 4. Airlines that travel to and from Africa might become 

bankrupt such as South African Airways above.

Although “Scientists have found a potential cure for Ebola” said from Alex B. Berezow the author of Science alert. They have precisely discovered a molecule in a secretive quarantined lab called BCX4430 shown below in Figure 5. It looks like Adenosine that makes up DNA and (said from Science alert again) is “used in the genomes of RNA-based viruses, such as Ebola.” Said by Scientists have basically had organism trials with the molecule involving macaque monkeys. Lab experts affected the monkeys with a virus named Marburg, closely related to Ebola and were given two doses a day for 14 days. But a couple of monkeys that weren't treated with any of the molecule deceased by day 12. Although 1 monkey survived, human trials haven’t yet been commenced. This molecule could possibly be the potential cure for Ebola. I strongly feel that this molecule will end the Ebola virus once and for all. Although it still needs maintaining due to the fact of 12 out of 13 monkeys being dead.

Figure 5. BCX4430 the potential cure for Ebola.

The International Business Times an article by Philip Ross, states that the World Health Organization has recorded that last year Ebola has wiped out 4,877 lives in West Africa. This is now extremely serious and deadly, now other countries fear of Ebola coming into their community and bringing total chaos. European Union member states have put in half a billion euros to help fight against Ebola, said by Katarzyna Nazaeewicz from One Europe. This is a great idea how European Union members have put in over millions of Euros to fight the virus because we need a lot of countries for dedication and help. Ebola patients have been brought to Europe and the USA for treatment which can be shown in figure 6 below.

Fiugre 6. A map of Ebola patients brought to Europe and 

the US for treatment.

Furthermore The Ebola Virus story is significant and the most important of the year because (to clarify again) it is the most well-known Virus of 2014, its deadly and serious because there has been an incredibly high death rate of 4,877 Ebola affected people. Scientists can’t find a cure to the virus which leaves the world in shock and a panic. They are not quite sure if BCX4430 is the solution to the outbreak and with Ebola being serious and the airline industry could be destroyed with sending passengers that have traveled to and from Africa spreading the virus widely.