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Anna Valente

Ms. Minnier

English I

29 March 2018

Ebola: How It’s Spread, Its Symptoms, and Its Treatment

When somebody hears the word “Ebola,” they may feel a sense of panic or fear over this

often deadly virus. As “Ebola Virus Disease” states, “Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly

known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans” (1). There are

“five known Ebola virus species” with the Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus) being the most

dangerous (“About Ebola Virus Disease” 1). In the past, there have been several outbreaks of

this deadly virus, such as the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in Africa (Davis 1). Ebola virus disease

“is caused by an infection with one of the five Ebola virus species” (“About Ebola Virus

Disease” 1). Ebola is spread easily and can lead to severe complications such as organ failure

and excessive bleeding (“Ebola Virus and Marburg Virus” 4). The virus is treated through

supportive hospital care, and doctors take extreme precautions when treating it. Ebola can be a

fatal virus that is easily spread through direct contact, has multiple symptoms, and it is treated

through maintaining body levels and hydration; however, doctors are developing vaccines for

Ebola which could hopefully prevent the transmission of this deadly virus.

Once transmitted from wild animals to humans, Ebola is easily spread through direct

contact. Although the origin of the Ebola virus is unknown, scientists believe that the virus

originates in fruit bats who transmit it to other animals, such as primates (“About Ebola Virus

Disease” 1). Ebola is transmitted to humans primarily when they handle infected animals,

usually bushmeat (Durojaye and Mirugi-Mukundi 2). When a human becomes infected, the virus
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can be easily spread to others “through direct contact with body fluids of a person who is sick

with or has died from Ebola virus disease” (“About Ebola Virus Disease” 1). The virus enters

through broken skin or mucous membranes. Direct contact with blood or body fluids is the

primary way to catch Ebola (“About Ebola Virus Disease” 2). Another way to catch Ebola is

through preparing people for burial as “bodies who have died of Ebola… are still contagious”

and could spread the disease to people who handle them (“Ebola Virus and Marburg Virus” 4).

Out of all people, health-care workers have the highest chance of getting Ebola and are “between

21 and 32 times more likely to be infected…” (Bradford 2). The higher chance of infection may

be because they frequently come in contact with contaminated objects such as needles and

syringes (“About Ebola Virus Disease” 2). Since Ebola is so easily spread through direct contact,

people who work directly with Ebola take extreme precautionary measures to make sure they do

not catch this virus.

The symptoms of Ebola progress from flu-like symptoms to deadly complications. It

takes between two to 21 days for the first symptoms to appear after initial infection (Gatherer 1).

These first flu-like symptoms of Ebola include fever, severe headache, joint and muscle aches,

chills, and weakness (“Ebola Virus and Marburg Virus” 2). From there, many patients develop

other symptoms such as diarrhea, rashes, reduced liver and kidney function, and vomiting. If not

treated quickly enough, in four to five days these symptoms will soon lead to internal and

external bleeding (“Ebola Virus Disease - Causes” 2). The immune system attacks the organs,

and blood vessels burst everywhere, causing the body to slowly bleed to death (Gatherer 3).

Internally the victim’s organs bleed, while externally blood comes out of the victim’s eyes, ears,

nose, and rectum (“Ebola Virus and Marburg Virus” 2). While some people die due to organ

failure, “most Ebola victims die as a result of severe dehydration from extensive vomiting and
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diarrhea” (“Ebola Virus Disease - Causes” 2). Doctors diagnose Ebola by reviewing the patient’s

symptoms and running blood “tests such as ELISA, PCR, and virus isolation [which] can provide

definitive diagnosis” (Davis 2). If a patient notices symptoms early, he or she must go to a doctor

immediately as the doctor could diagnose them with Ebola and start giving them treatment.

As of right now there is no approved medicine or vaccine to treat Ebola; however,

supportive hospital care and prevention help contain and treat the virus. Providing fluids (IVs),

balancing electrolytes, maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure, and treating other

infections if they occur are the best way as of right now to increase the chances of survival

(“About Ebola Virus Disease” 4). Death rates range “from 50%-100% fatality” (Davis 4).

Health-care workers are under development for finding a vaccine or medicine to treat Ebola. If a

patient survives, they will experience multiple post-treatment effects in the several months

following such as weakness, hair loss, and liver inflammation (“Ebola Virus and Marburg Virus”

4). Health-care workers take several precautions when working with Ebola patients, such as

“basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene… safe injection practices, and safe burial practices”

(“Ebola Virus Disease” 6). Since Ebola is highly contagious through direct contact, health

workers “wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile

long-sleeved gown, and [sterile] gloves…” (“Ebola Virus Disease” 6). There are also different

precautions taken to contain, control, and prevent Ebola from spreading throughout the

population, too. These include keeping questionably infected animals and humans in quarantine,

wearing protective gear, and standard hygienic practices (“Ebola Virus Disease - Causes” 3).

With proper treatment and attentive prevention, Ebola can be contained.

Ebola is one of the most fatal viruses known. Once transmitted from primates to humans,

the virus is easily spread through direct contact. Ebola leads to deadly complications such as
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internal and external bleeding, which causes organ failure and can lead to death. It is treated with

supportive hospital care and prevented by wearing protective gear and practicing standard

hygienic practices. Is there another way to prevent Ebola? Doctors are developing several

vaccines which could potentially prevent this virus. rVSV-ZEBOV is an experimental vaccine

that was tested in a “major trial in Guinea… involving 11,841 people,” and it turned out to be

exceptionally protective (“Ebola Virus Disease” 5). “5,837 people received the vaccine, [and] no

Ebola cases were recorded 10 days or more after vaccination. In comparison, there were 23 cases

10 days or more after vaccination among those who did not receive the vaccine” (“Final Trial

Results” 1). The vaccine is waiting to be approved by the World Health Organization (“Final

Trial Results” 3). Another vaccine in the works is the ZMapp vaccine, which “contains three

monoclonal antibodies that may bind to the virus, so that the immune system can clear out the

virus” (Bradford 2). A clinical trial found the vaccine to be safe; however, too few people were

enrolled in the trial to determine if the vaccine is a better treatment than the standard care used

(“Study Finds Ebola Treatment” 1). The development of these vaccines could be a major step in

preventing Ebola from ever having a mass outbreak again. As Lailah Gifty Akita once said, “We

must act now to prevent further spread of Ebola Virus. If we do not act collectively, Ebola Virus

will wipe all whole populations and generations… The call to action is now.” Finding new ways

to prevent and treat Ebola will help save thousands of lives around the world.

Works Cited Page

"About Ebola Virus Disease." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Dec. 2017. Web. 27 Feb. 2018.

Bradford, Alina. "Ebola: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment." LiveScience. Purch, 28 Mar.

2016. Web. 27 Feb. 2018.

Davis, Charles Patrick, MD, PhD. "Ebola Virus Causes, Symptoms, History & Vaccine."

MedicineNet. MedicineNet, Inc., 27 Feb. 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2018.

Durojaye, Ebenezer T., and Gladys Mirugi-Mukundi. "The Ebola Virus and Human

Rights Concerns in Africa." African Journal of Reproductive Health 18th ser. 9.3 (2015):

2+. JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 27 Feb. 2018.

"Ebola Virus and Marburg Virus." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education

and Research, 7 Nov. 2017. Web. 27 Feb. 2018.

"Ebola Virus Disease - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Diagnosis." MedBroadcast.

MediResource Inc., 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2018.

"Ebola Virus Disease." World Health Organization. WHO, Jan. 2018. Web. 27 Feb.

2018.

"Final Trial Results Confirm Ebola Vaccine Provides High Protection against Disease."

World Health Organization. WHO, 23 Dec. 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2018.

Gatherer, Derek. "What Happens to Your Body If You Get Ebola?" The Conversation.

The Conversation US, Inc., 17 June 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2018.

"Study Finds Ebola Treatment ZMapp Holds Promise, Although Results Not Definitive."

National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 13 Oct.

2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2018.