Ebola Outbreak Analysis: Source, Transmission, Vaccine Delay, Control

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the Ebola outbreak, starting with its origins near the Ebola River in 1976 and its subsequent spread, particularly the devastating outbreak in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. It details the transmission pathways of the virus, emphasizing the role of infected animal fluids and person-to-person contact, including sexual transmission. A significant portion of the essay addresses the reasons for the delay in developing an effective vaccine, citing economic factors, competing market forces, and the extensive regulatory processes involved. Furthermore, the essay outlines public health management and prevention strategies, such as strict hygiene practices, safe sexual behavior, and community education, highlighting the importance of these measures in the absence of a widely available vaccine. The conclusion underscores the ongoing threat posed by Ebola and the necessity for continued research and preventive efforts.

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EBOLA OUTBREAK
Name
Institution

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Introduction
Ebola is a deadly viral disease that has caused the highest mortality rates in the recent
past when it broke out. The virus is said to originate from wild animals and has the capability to
infect humans. The genesis of the disease is deep in the African continent and modes of
transmission occur due to indirect interaction with wild animals which are the carriers of the
disease. The condition has taken long to get vaccines an aspect that has continued to see its
outbreak after many years. The prevalence of Ebola tends to increase in places which are densely
populated. The public health management and disease prevention has curbed the situation of
Ebola though it has left a lasting impact in people’s lives. This will look at the source,
transmission, vaccination against and control of Ebola.
Source of Ebola
Ebola is named after an outbreak in a village near the Ebola River in 1976. At least two
simultaneous outbreaks of the acute and fatal illness were reported from Nzara in the current
South Sudan and another in Yambuku which is in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Jin Li,
Brewer & Ley, 2017). From 2014 to 2016, there emerged a complex outbreak since the first
discovery of the virus. It occurred in West Africa where the cases and related deaths were more
than all the other cases combined. The virus had quickly spread out beyond the countries
demarcations beginning from Guinea, to Sierra Leon and then to Liberia. The family of the virus
has been found to belong to five different species which are all responsible for the outbreaks in
Africa. The species which is associated with the latest outbreak in West Africa is the Zaire
Ebola-virus species.

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Transmission of Ebola
Ebola virus has been transmitted to human beings by considerably close contact with
infected fluids of wild animals. The fluids which have potential transmission ability are blood,
secretions and body fluids of infected animals. The animals may be found ill or dead in the forest
and in the process of observing, people get into contact with the fluids which then transmit the
virus to them (Kelly, Worden, Wannier, Hoff, Mukadi, Sinai, Porco, 2019). The natural carrier of
the Ebola virus is a fruit bat which belongs to the family of pteropodidae. The virus is then
transmitted from one person to another through direct contact with blood, saliva, mucus, sweat,
infected organs and other body fluids of infected persons. Sharing of materials such as bed
sheets, mattresses, pillows and other clothing which might have been in contact with these fluids
also spread the viral infection. Medical practitioners and healthcare providers have been
constantly infected in the process of attending to the patients with suspected or known Ebola
cases. This is because appropriate infection control measures are not adhered to strictly. In some
cultures where direct body contact between the deceased and the living is contacted, the
prevalence of Ebola remains high since the body is infectious as long as Ebola is the cause of the
death.
Ebola can also be sexually transmitted because the semen can contain the virus. This has
prompted the World Health Organization to give various recommendations to minimize the
chances of transmission (Abbate, Murall, Richner, & Althaus, 2016). The survivors with their
partners are counseled and urged to practice safe sex until the semen test negative. Provision of
condoms has also been employed as a measure to curb the spread. Semen testing for the men
who survive the pandemic is provided to advise them on the appropriate measures to reduce the
risk of spread. Survivors are encouraged to practice good hygienic practices and safe sex in a bid

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to zero the transmission through intercourse. Proper disposal of used sex devices should be done
to ensure contact with the fluids is minimal. Any physical conduct with the semen or vaginal
secretions should be washed off immediately with soap and water. The entire population (Kelly,
Weiser, Wilson, Cooper, Glayweon, Sneller, Fallah, 2019) is also advised to provide support and
respect the survivors and their families.
Ebola vaccine delay.
The complexity of developing a vaccine has over the years led to the delay. This delay
has seen thousands of people die as a result of Ebola outbreak. The fact that most of the countries
which have been heavily hit by the killer viral disease are poor is another major factor that has
greatly contributed to the delay. South Sudan and the Democratic republic of Congo lack a solid
economic base to supply for the needs of their ailing population an aspect that makes them
reliant on foreign aid to rescue the population from the outbreak (Kelly, Worden, Wannier, Hoff,
Mukadi, Sinai, Porco, 2019). This means these countries in which the virus originated from are
unable to fund any significant research for the development of the vaccine. Many market forces
have always been competing over the development of the vaccine an aspect that has led to slow
down of the process since the developers wait for the failure of each other’s results in order to act
on the prevailing issue. Many of the company’s which are ranked as the top developers of
medicines, always evaluate whether the disease will be a higher priority to develop a lasting
medication and incase they don’t get assurance for the market of the drugs, they retract from this
path an aspect that has lengthened the prevalence of the Africans to Ebola. Before a vaccine is
rolled out to be used, it has to go through a process. Discovery of the vaccine is the first followed
by clinics and laboratory trials. Registration and approval regulations follows suit. Then

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manufacturing and implementation are the last. This process has to be verified and it takes a lot
of time.
Return on investment has been a big consideration by the manufacturing companies.
They first launch out investigations to find out whether the outbreak of the disease is a real risk.
If they find out it is not then they opt out in the development of the vaccines. This is because a
conclusion is always arrived at that the company will earn less return compared to the investment
that will be put into the research in a bid to discover and develop the vaccine. The companies
therefore consider so much the profit side of their discoveries more than the importance of
human life which remains at the peril of Ebola viral disease (Kelly, Weiser, Wilson, Cooper,
Glayweon, Sneller, Fallah, 2019). The companies that finally launch into the research and make
the vaccines then sell the products at very higher prices an aspect that makes the poor countries
with the highest ailing population unable to purchase the vaccines hence continued suffering.
Since most of the companies are funded by world super powers, oppression of the poor economic
nations is inevitable thus suffering isn’t intervened at since the powers are aiming for profit other
than saving human life.
The development of so many vaccines which are tried out in the poor African countries
where the prevalence of Ebola is highest has contributed to remarkable confusion. Lack of
adequate time to re-evaluate the effectiveness of one particular vaccine has contributed to
numerous cases of the disease spread since unclear and untrue information has constantly been
passed as the firms administering the vaccines compete on the ground where the population is
vulnerable to their claims. So many trials have been made of which most of them just blind
folded the African peasants who were unable to launch out to save the population. These trials
contributed to greater spread of the disease since people are cheated that they have been

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vaccinated against only to find out the vaccine was in a trial and that the people are still
vulnerable to the disease (Klitzman, 2015). The world health organization however has chipped
in and the situation is almost contained in the countries with the majority of the cases. Supply of
vaccines procured by the WHO in conjuction with some companies has helped to reduce the risk
of Ebola transmission. The interest of many companies too has decreased due to multiple trials to
come with the solution by introducing the vaccine with no avail. This therefore has demoralized
many from continuing in this form of trial and failure at the expense of their resources and time.
Public health management and Prevention
Due to lack of a known or proven vaccine that prevents Ebola, the public health groups
have been forced to issue guidelines on how to stay safe from the pandemic. The population is
urged to adhere to strict control policies and education about chances and factors that impose
risks is passed to the people in a bid to enable them to prevent the disease. Healthcare personnel
who come into contact with body fluids of infected people are advised to thoroughly wash their
hands with soap and water to minimize chances of infection. People are also encouraged to
practice the same levels of hygiene in case they come into body fluids contact at any particular
moment (Diakite, Mooring, Velásquez & Murray, 2016). Sharing of personal effects such as
towels, beddings, brushes, combs and utensils is discouraged since these items may come into
contact with fluids which are the medium of Ebola transmission. Minimization of body contact
should be avoided since one can get into contact with body fluids of an infected person e.g.
during hugging. The people are also urged to minimize interaction with wild animals such as
primates and bats which happen to be the potential carriers of the virus.

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Since Ebola can also be transmitted sexually, married people are advised to consider
possibilities of the infection so as to take the necessary steps to prevent it. Survivors of Ebola are
taken through counseling sessions to help them reduce the risk of infecting their partners with the
disease (Abbate, Murall, Richner, & Althaus, 2016). The semen of all male survivors are tested
two to three times and until the semen has tested negative twice is when an individual is advised
to continue with the normal relations with his partner. Before and during the testing, survivors
are urged to use condoms during sexual activities in order to prevent the semen from passing the
virus unto the partner. In cases where people do not accept using condoms, then they are advised
to abstain until they are sure their semen has tested negative. The population is then instructed
not get involved in funeral rituals that make conduct between the deceased and the living since if
Ebola is the cause of the death then transmission will occur.
Conclusion
Ebola is a deadly pandemic which was first discovered in 1976. It has actively caused
deaths since then and the recent outbreak of the virus in West Africa caused thousands of deaths.
The source is believed to be fruit bats which are the potential hosts of the virus. The disease
takes its name from the outbreak in a village near Ebola River. Transmission occurs from
primates and other wild animals to human beings then from one person to another through
contact of body fluids. The disease vaccines have not yet been discovered since most companies
that develop vaccines are eying on the profit. People are urged to practice preventive measures
since there is no a vaccine that is proven yet.

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References
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