Essay about The Ebola Virus - 2798 Words

You have to admire its simplicity. Its one billionth our size and its beating us. - - Spoken by Colonel Sam Daniels, a character in the fictional movie about Ebola, Outbreak. The Ebola virus is the most feared virus of our time. What exactly is Ebola? Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever actually named after the River Ebola in Zaire, Africa, where it was first discovered. It belongs to a genus of ribonucleic viruses called filoviruses, under the family Filofiridae, which are characterized by their filament-like (thread-like) appearance with a little hook or loop at the end. Only five viruses exist in this family: the not-as-deadly Marburg, and the four Ebola strains: Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan, Ebola Tai and Ebola Reston. The latter†¦show more content†¦(Tables I and II) The viruses in this family range from 800 to 1000 nanometers in length. Marburg and Ebola are distinguished by their length after purification. Infectivity depends on particular lengths: the longer, the more infectious. All Ebola viruses measure up to about the same length. Each virus particle consists of a helical-coiled tube made of four virally encoded proteins. This strand of RNA is found in an envelope formed from the hosts plasma cell membrane, which is now spiked with another carbohydrate-coated viral protein. Differences in gene sequence and very small differences in serological nature are what make each Ebola virus unique from each other, with its own antigenic and biological properties. The time needed for Ebola virus replication in infected body cells takes less than eight hours. Hundreds to thousands of new viral particles can be produced and released from the host cell within days or even hours before the host cell dies. This replication process is repeated several times in an Ebola patient before symptoms begin to show. The diagnosis of Ebola is made by the detection of Ebola antibodies, antigens or genetic material, or by the culture of the virus, in blood or other bodily fluid specimens that are examined in specialized laboratory tests. Such tests present a very extreme biohazard, so they are conducted in special high-containment laboratories to ensure maximum protection for scientists.Show MoreRelatedEbola Virus ( Virus )1231 Words   |  5 PagesEbola was named for a small river near Maridi, Sudan. Since Ebola first appeared in 1967 there have been over 100 cases of Ebola with more than 50% of the patients dying within days of their acute symptoms. Ebola is classified as a biosafety level four agent because of its extreme pathogenicity and the lack of a vaccine or antiviral drug. 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The first notification of the virus was mentioned in the Ebola River valley in Zaire for the time of an outburst in 1976. Moreover, the outbursts have appeared in Africa over the following 27 years, with death rates that differ from 50 to 90%.Read MoreThe Epidemic Of Ebola Virus Ebola1814 Words   |  8 PagesThe virus Ebola, or formally known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is something most, if not all, Americans have heard of in these past few months since it has taken American media by storm. Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness, with an astonishingly high case fatality rate. It is considered one of the world’s most virulent diseases and is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people (Ebola Virus Disease). This, however, is not the only aspectRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Ebola Virus Ebola1943 Words   |  8 PagesThe virus Ebola, or formally known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is something most, if not all, Americans have heard of in these past few months since it has taken American media by storm. Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness, with an astonishingly high case fatality rate. It is considered one of the world’s most virulent diseases and is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people (Ebola Virus Disease). This, however, is not the only aspectRead MoreThe Ebola Virus Essay1208 Words   |  5 Pages In the year 1976, Ebola climbed out of its unknown hiding place, and caused the death of 340 people. Fear gripped the victims faces, and uncertainty tortured their minds. The people of Zaire waited outside clinics, churches and in their homes for a treatment of the horrible disease, but ther e was no cure. They were forced to watch people die, hoping that they would be saved from the violent death of the Ebola virus. From the year of 1976 to the present date of 1996, researchers have searched forRead MoreTracking the Ebola Virus733 Words   |  3 Pages These past years I spent my time tracking the virus of Ebola as well as its various strains all over the world. At first I didn’t know of the disease, only of the mysterious deaths. I had heard a rumor of a man by the name of Monet who had become mysteriously sick with a disease that none have seen. This information led me to Nairobi, Kenya where the man was supposed to be. When I arrived at Nairobi Hospital I didn’t encounter the man of my search. I questioned a nurse, who asked not to be named