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