Biography of the latest ebola outbreak in uganda Essays

Biography of the latest ebola outbreak in uganda Essays Biography of the latest ebola outbreak in uganda Paper Biography of the latest ebola outbreak in uganda Paper The Ebola virus is an infrequent and exceedingly lethal virus whose name is derived from the Ebola River in northern Zaire. The river flows north of Yambuku, a small town previously inhabited by the first person in whom this virus was identified in 1976. Although it is not known where this virus resides in nature, it can spread fairly easily, hence, appears widespread around the world, most often in several countries across the equatorial forest regions of Africa. The Ebola virus is a filovirus, which is taxonomically classified into its separate virus family by virtue of being quite distinct in relation to the other non-segmented negative- stranded RNA viruses. Generally, viruses replicate by inserting their genetic material (encoded as RNA or DNA) into a host cell and utilizing the host machinery to make copies of themselves. Studies indicate that as Ebola virus spreads, it undergoes genetic mutations thereby becoming more virulent. Ebola virus is the causative agent for hemorrhagic fever (commonly referred to as Ebola), a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans via direct contact with the body fluid of infected live or dead animals. Molecular and immunologic characterization of Ebola virus isolates has led to their classification into four subtypes that include; (i) Ebola Sudan, (ii) Ebola Zaire, (iii) Ebola Ivory Coast and (iv) Ebola Reston. With an exception of E. Reston whose origin is in Asia and has no any reported incident of causing human disease, these subtypes are widely found on the African subcontinent where several cases of their pathogenicity for humans have been reported. Spread of Ebola Virus The Ebola virus spreads mostly through body fluids such as blood to those who have immediate personal contact with the person who is severely ill. For example, health care workers and family members have high chances of contracting the virus when treating and taking care of the infected patients. Poor sanitary conditions, characterized by lack of clean water, needles, syringes, and means of sterilizing an area contaminated with the fluids of a victim contribute significantly to the spread the virus. No cases of airborne transmission have so far been reported in humans, although this is more probable in monkeys. The spread of the virus is also likely to occur through sexual transmission, especially for those who already show some signs of the infection. Similarly, there may be some risk of transmission of the virus through genital discharges shortly after recovery for persons who have been previously infected. Â  Generally, the risk of transmission of the virus is more likely in the advanced stages of the disease as the body fluids tend to flow more freely through hemorrhaging, vomiting and diarrhea.