Assignment about the Epidemic

About the epidemic
The world heads faced several challenges in the health department. One of the most fatal
disease to have nearly wiped out the world was Ebola. The disease began in West Africa
when a small boy contacted the illness (Wilson, 2017). It was not long before he spread it to
his family and later his neighbours. The virus then had no limits. It crossed boundaries and
spread to the neighbouring countries before spreading across the continent. With the world
being a global village, the localized epidemic became a pandemic. The virus spread across
the world and spared no one. It killed nearly everyone it came into contact with. The was a
state of panic in the world. The new serial killer had no cure and it destroyed a person even
before they had time to seek treatment for the symptoms (Wilson, 2017).
Countries Involved
The outbreak begun in Guinea in Africa. It later spread to Sierra Leone, Liberia and other
countries West of Africa. The disease later spread to other continents such as America,
Europe and Asia (Wilson, 2017)
The virus Itself
Ebola is a virus that affects humans and primates such as monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees.
The disease is spread through direct contact with a sick or dead person. The virus was first
discovered in 1976 in Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Wilson, 2017).
Since its discovery there have been numerous outbreaks in Africa. The first recorded
outbreak of Ebola occurred in Democratic Republic of Congo. It was from this outbreak that
the virus was identified and named after the Ebola River. The next outbreak occurred in
South Sudan. However, the 2013 outbreak was the most severe (Wilson, 2017)
Initially, it was presumed that three viruses in the first two outbreaks was caused by an
individual who travelled from the affected area. Furthest studies indicated that the viruses

were genetically distinct. The virus in Congo was named Zaire ebolavirus while the virus in
South Sudan was named Sudan ebolavirus. Each virus appeared to have its own independent
source and spread independently. However, the symptoms of both viruses was the same
(Wilson, 2017).
It is not clear the origin of the virus. Scientist however, have classified it based on other
similar viruses in the genus as Ebola have an origin in bats and non human primates appear to
be the source of transferring the diseases to humans (Wilson, 2017).
The disease spreads from one human to another through touching infected blood, tissues or
body fluids. The disease can still spread by contact with a dead patient who was infected. The
virus enters the body through broken skin and mucous membranes such as eyes, mouth and
nose. The virus can also be spread through sexual intercourse. It is important to note that the
virus can remain in the semen even after the individual has recovered and there are no visible
symptoms. Ebola survivors often experience side effects of the virus and the medication used.
Some of the side effects include, fatigue, muscle ache, stomach pain and problems with
vision and eyes in general (Wilson, 2017)
According to scientist, bats could be the reservoir host. The virus can exist in the body and
tissues of the organism but not have any symptoms. Bats allow the virus to live in the
environment and mutate accordingly. Primates such as monkeys are dead end hosts. The
virus easily spreads from one primate to the other and has severe symptoms
Treatment
Currently, there is a vaccine that was developed to help control the disease. rVSV-ZEBOV
also known as Ervebo was approved in December 2019. The vaccine has proven to be
effective against Zaire ebolavirus. This vaccine has been approved by the United States Food
and Drug Administration board. The vaccine is administered as a single dose. However, a

blustery may be given 56 days after the initial vaccine. Scientists are yet to confirm if the
vaccine is effective against other strains of Ebola
However, the most important treatment option was avoiding contact with infected individuals
(Wilson, 2017). The symptoms of the virus are treated as they present. If there is early
intervention, chances of survival significantly increase. Treatment involves providing
intravenous fluids and electrolytes to help maintain the body salts. In some cases, the patient
is transferred to oxygen therapy to help maintain the oxygen levels in the body. Appropriate
medication is given to control diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, pain and fever. Other symptoms
are treated as they progressively appear.
Currently, there is no antiviral drug that has been approved in the treatment of Ebola.
However, there are several treatment options which are in the clinical trials phase and are
awaiting approval from the Food and Drug Administration board. An example of medication
still under clinical trial is regeneron (REGN-EB3) and mAb114, these two medications were
successful in improving the chances of survival in the last Ebola outbreak. These two are the
recommended drugs for patients who have been confirmed with Ebola virus. However, they
are still awaiting approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration board.
There are preventive measures that have been implemented for Ebola virus. The first strategy
is to avoid contact with body fluids such as breast milk, blood, saliva, sweat, urine among
others. It is also important to avoid contact with individuals who have died from Ebola.
Avoid contact with personal items that may have come into contact with infected individuals;
they include clothes, bed sheets, medical equipment among others. It is recommended that as
a preventive measure, individuals should avoid contact with Bush meat or meat from an
unknown sources.
Containment and Governmental Action

The 2013 Ebola outbreak begun in the rural areas and later spread to the urban centres. In a
few weeks it had spread to other countries. Two months after the first reported case, the virus
was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. In addition, during this outbreak
the highest number of reported cases was between family members and non related
individuals who were living together. It was from this pandemic that is was discovered that
transmission through dead bodies was the most widespread form of transmission. The
government recommended a change in the morning and burial practices. The government
also recommended safe burial practices in order to minimize the spread of diseases.
After the first five fatal cases of diarrhoea, the government of Guinea issued an alert for an
infectious illness that was unidentified. Ten days later, there had been 49 cases and 25 deaths.
The disease was declared an outbreak. A few months later, the disease had spread to all the
neighbouring counties near Guinea. Several deaths heard already occurred and the number of
reported cases was rising continuously. WHO declared the disease a Public Health
Emergency of International Concern. Prevention programs were developed and the local
leaders were responsible for creating awareness and implementing the programs at the
individual level. Through this strategies, Liberia was declared Ebola free in 2015. Other
countries soon followed and by 2016 the world was Ebola free (Wilson, 2017)
To help contain the disease, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deployed
personnel to West Africa to help in surveillance programs, data collection, contact tracing,
conducting laboratory tests and other activities. This initiative helped to control disease
activities while providing technical assistance. The CDC also helped to contain the outbreak
by providing educational information about the disease and encouraging people to use the
preventive measures. The laboratory capacities in infected countries was increased. Addition
of new laboratory centres helped to speed up the diagnosis process and also provide room for

specialized testing equipment. By the end of 2015, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea had 24
new laboratories designed for testing Ebola (Wilson, 2017).
To help prevent transmission across borders, the West African countries introduced screening
at the airports. Screening of passengers leaving the country helped to ensure that the disease
did not spread to other countries. Screening passengers entering the country helped to
quarantine the individual an prevent further spread of the disease. Early screening also
increased the chances of survival. In countries severely affected such as Guinea, there was a
total lockdown. Only healthcare workers and deployed CDC specialists were allowed to leave
or enter the country
References
Wilson, R. (2017). Epidemic: Ebola and the Global Scramble to Prevent the Next Killer
Outbreak.