Ebola


                                                          Connor Ferrell
                                                                  Per6

























    ....As the figure emerged from the bushes, they saw him. Blood pouring out of every

opening in his body, his skin tearing as he walked. Black vomit flowing out of his mouth.

Sounds like a Stephen King novel doesn't it? Actually, this isn't fiction. This is Ebola. Ebola is a

horrible disease that attacks every organ in the body. It turns everything into a slush. It is a truly

terrible disease and many people, from the government to private companies, are trying to find

a cure. 

    Ebola is an RNA virus made of 7 different proteins that causes a type of hemorrhagic

fever. It was named after a river where it was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of

Congo, formerly known as Zaire, in Africa in 1976. There are 4 subtypes of Ebola: Ebola-

Zaire, Ebola-Sundan, Ebola-Ivory Coast, and Ebola-Reston. The first 3 strains are found in 

humans and other mammals. Ebola-Reston is not found in humans, but in

other mammals (Schoenstadt 2008 19). 

    The exact origins of the virus are not known, but scientists believe it is zoonotic, which

means it originated in animals and somehow made its way into humans. Scientists are looking

for any animal or insect the disease might have originated in. This may help in finding a cure

(Schoenstadt 2008 21). 

    Ebola is a very deadly disease. The CDC classifies it as a level 4 pathogen (Anonymous

22). To put that into perspective, that is a higher level than AIDS. The disease attacks every

organ in the body. It also attacks all tissue except bone and skeletal muscle. Ebola is what is

known as a "perfect parasite" because it turns everything it attacks into slime made of viral

particles that leak out of the body (Anonymous 23). It has anywhere from a 2- to 21-day

incubation period (depending on the strain) and has a 60%-90% mortality rate. 

    As the disease attacks the body, it causes blood clots to form in the blood stream. Blood

flow slows down and the clots stick to the walls of veins and arteries. Some get caught in

small capillaries and cut off the supply of oxygen to certain parts of the body. This causes dead

spots to appear in areas where circulation was cut off. This happens in the brain, kidneys,

lungs, intestines, testicles and all over the skin (Anonymous 24). 

    As the disease progresses, the skin becomes very soft and will it tear if any pressure is

applied. This happens when the layer under the skin dies and deteriorates. (Anonymous 27). 

Rips in the skin appear and blood pours from these rips as well as from every other opening

in the body (Anonymous 26). These are caused by a maculopapular rash, which is many red

and white bumps that appear after the collagen, which holds your organs together, dies and

liquifies (Anonymous 25). 

    As the virus spreads, the tongue turns a bright red and the surface of it molts off. It is either

swallowed or spit out. It might come off while the person is coughing up the black vomit that

comes as the disease destroys the body. The same thing happens to the lining of the back of

the throat and esophagus; it is either coughed up or it slides down the windpipe and into the

lungs (Anonymous 29). The heart bleeds into itself and the chambers hemorrhage into the chest

cavity (anonymous 30). The brain fills with dead blood cells, a condition known as sludging of

the brain (Anonymous 31). Then the disease attacks the lining of the eyeballs. They turn red as

they fill with blood. This may cause blindness, and some people even weep blood (Anonymous

32). The clots in the bloodstream may make their way up to the brain. This may cause a

hemispherical stroke. This is when one whole side of a person's body is paralyzed. This pretty

much ensures death because it removes the clotting factor from the blood (Anonymous

33).  Ebola is a disaster for pregnant women.  The baby is aborted immediately and is

usually born infected and with red eyes and a bloody nose (Anonymous 34).

    Ebola thoroughly destroys the brain.  Victims often enter a state of epilepsy (the disease that

causes seizures).  This usually happens towards the final stages of the

disease and is characterized by grand mal seizures.  This is when the whole body shakes and

twitches (Anonymous35).This sprays infected particles of blood and fluid all over and spreads

the disease even more. 

    After the victim dies, the body, already weakened by fever and disease, basically begins to

liquify.  Disease-filled liquids flood from the body as it deteriorates. The organs, having been

dead and destroyed, deteriorate and the proteins holding the body together liquify and

deteriorate (Anonymous 36). 

    As of now there are no known cures for Ebola (Schoenstadt 2009).  There are many

companies and organizations that are working on a cure:  The U.S. Army, for instance.  They

created drugs called antisense compounds (Emspak 2010 11). They allow the immune system

to attack and weaken the virus before it does enough damage to kill the victim. This may be a

possible way to slow the advance of the disease through the body or possibly even stop it.

Though still in the preliminary phases and only tested on primates, the results have been looking

good. At the U.S Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, during preliminary

testing 5 of 8 monkeys infected with Ebola survived during the experiment (Emspak 2010 12).

Antisense drugs work by fitting onto the end of an Ebola molecule, which is just a strand of

RNA. When it attaches itself to the virus, it keeps it from attaching itself on to other particles,

including enzymes which are needed for the disease to reproduce (Emspak 2010 13). These

drugs are able to be given after someone has been exposed to the virus. Unlike vaccines,

which need to be given several months before exposure and have not been offically tested,

antisense drugs can be given even after symptoms appear. Because Ebola could be used as a

biological weapon, post-exposure medications are an important breakthrough (Emspak 2010 14). 

    Another possible treatment for Ebola is the use of small genetic particles called

small interfering RNAs (Melville 2010 7). They stop the replication process of

Ebola. Scientists tested the siRNAs on monkeys and had promising results. They tested

on 2 groups of subjects. The only difference between the 2 groups was how often the

scientists administered the drugs. Another small change was in liver enzymes which

may have led to infection. All of the first doses were given 30 minutes after exposure

(Melville 2010 9). In the first group, 2 of 3 subjects survived the disease. They were

given the siRNAs on days 1, 3 and 5 after the exposure. In the second group, all 4

subjects were protected from the infection (Melville 2010 10). They were give the

siRNAs on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 after the exposure. These siRNAs work as inhibitors.

They block what is known as the L protein. This protein is necessary for the Ebola virus

to reproduce (Melville 2010 8). 

    Because Ebola cannot be cured, the help healthcare providers can give is what is

called supportive care (Schoenstadt 2009 37). All this is is reliving symptoms caused

by the disease. Things like good nursing, and oxygen to help breathing, help to ease

the patient from the effects of the disease.  Also, intravenous (IV) fluids to help keep

the patient hydrated and to keep their electrolytes up can be given. Certain medicines

are used to help with blood clotting and to regulate blood pressure. Antibiotics are

used to help prevent other secondary infections from occurring (Schoenstadt 2009 38). 

Despite the recent advance in treating the disease and supportive care, 50%-90% of

victims do not survive the disease (Warfeild 2007 2).      

    Ebola is a very potent disease and could be used as a biological weapon (Feldmann

2007 1). The CDC classifies it as a category A pathogen. These agents are believed to

be the greatest threat to public health and safety and have a moderate chance of large

scale dessimation (spread).  Because Ebola is such a potent disease, it is perfect for

use as a biological weapon.  A terrorist group could get their hands on a sample and

release it in the atmosphere using aerosol, or infect animals and release them in

a large city or other populated area. Because of this threat, the United States

government has started to take more precautions to preventing this from happening

(Towner 2008 3). 

    After the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centers in 2001, this became an even

bigger threat. Broad public health is now among the top concerns of the government

(Schoenstdt 2008 15). Deliberate release of Ebola and other diseases such as anthrax,

plague, and smallpox have become a major issue for the government (Schoenstadt

2008 17). 

    Not only does Ebola have an impact on the human body, but it also has an impact on 

society and everyday life. In 2008, an outbreak in Uganda caused a small, 10-

bed health station to fill up with more patients than it could hold. The nurses didn't

know what the disease was at first because there were no doctors. They were treating

patients without rubber gloves or face masks ( Mason 2008 4). This caused the disease

to spread into the nurses and caregivers. When they finally found out what is was, the

Red Cross and the Ugandan government moved in to help. All of the villages where the

disease was located were quarantined. Those who were infected were quarantined in

the hospital, and the disease wiped out several entire villages. The families of those

who were infected were pelted with rocks if they tried to leave their home, sick or not.

Some tried to run away. At one point, one village's isolation ward was ransacked,

releasing 5 sick patients out and into the hills (Mason 2008 6). The doctors at the

village were afraid that this would just spread the disease to other villages and more

people would die. In the end they rounded up all of the sick patients and returned them

to the hospital. Because they didn't know the disease was Ebola, the hospitals and

health stations were still open to people without the disease. These people with

regular problems became sick and spread the disease more. Some people with other

serious illnesses came in and gave their disease to the already weakened Ebola

patients. One woman who came in to give birth contracted the disease. 

    After the government realized what kind of problem they had and how big it was,

they released the eqivient of U.S. $3.5 million to help combat the spread of the disease.

A large portion of this money went to properly stocking medical facilities with proper

protective gear.