Ebola

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Ebola
Ebola is known to be one of the rarest and deadliest diseases that mostly affects human and non-human primates like chimpanzees and gorillas. This is due to the number of deaths it has caused over the past years ever since it was first discovered in 1976. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ebola virus causes a severe acute illness that is often lethal if left untreated (“Ebola Virus Disease” N.p). It is initiated “by an infection with one of five known Ebola virus species, four of which can cause disease in people” (“About Ebola Virus Disease” N.p). It is believed to be transmitted and carried by bats that then transfer it to other primates like monkeys, apes, and humans.
Although many sources claim that Dr. Peter Piot discovered and named Ebola, he in an interview, argued that it was a collective team effort. He was involved in early lab work on what to be a new virus and played a significant role in the investigation since its first outbreaks in 1976 at the age of 27. The rights of discovery go a group of Center Disease Control and Prevention scientists. They are: Dr. Patricia Webb, a virologist, Dr. Karl Johnson, specific pathogens head, Fredrick Murphy, viral pathology chief, and James Lange, who was a CDC scientist involved actively in the fight against Ebola in West Africa (Branswell N.p).
The Ebola virus transmits through direct interaction with the fluids of those who are infected or those that have died from it.

It occurs if a person touched the bodily fluids where the virus is transmitted through mucous membranes in the nose, eyes, and mouth or broken skins and even sexual contact. It can also be conveyed through the contact with infected primates or fruit bats. The disease’s primary symptoms are fatigue, headache, muscle pain and sore throat. It is then trailed by diarrhea, vomiting, rash, external and internal bleeding and liver and kidney impaired functions (“Ebola Virus Disease” N.p). The survivors of this disease also experience tiredness, muscle aches, stomach pain, and vision problems and often face discrimination in the community (“About Ebola Virus Disease” N.p).
It is often difficult to distinguish between Ebola from other diseases like typhoid, malaria. This is due to the similarity of its symptoms. The different diagnostic methods are:
Electron microscopy
Virus isolation by cell culture
Serum neutralization
Antigen-capture detection tests
Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay
Antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
The selection process should be cautiously carried out concerning the incidence and prevalence of the disease, implications of the tests and technical specifications. It is highly recommended that tests have undergone international and independent evaluation are considered the first.
In the treatment process, supportive rehydration care with intravenous and oral fluids and symptoms treatments are known to aid in survival. However, there is no particular treatment for Ebola, but there are trials on immune therapies, blood products, and drug therapies under evaluation. There has been a vaccine that has proved to be highly protective against the disease called rVSV-ZEBOV. However, there are preventive measures that should be practiced to control and prevent oneself from the disease. For instance, one should avoid contact with infected people and wear protective clothing to enhance so. One is also recommended to take vaccinations to increase the chances of survival after infection.
Ebola is deadly and highly infectious. Governmental and non-governmental bodies should coerce to contain the disease and possibly wipe it off the face of the earth. It is as well important that people practice preventive measures to hold it from spreading in case of an outbreak.
Works Cited
“About Ebola Virus Disease” Cdc.gov. N. p., N.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html”Ebola Virus Disease.” World Health Organization. N. p., 2018. Web. 25 Apr. 2018.
http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ebola-virus-disease”How Ebola’s Discovery Was Wrongly Credited to One Researcher.” STAT. N. p., 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2018. https://www.statnews.com/2016/07/14/history-ebola-peter-piot/