What is it?

• The Zaire Ebola Virus is a severe, often-fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees) that has appeared from time to time since its initial recognition in 1976.
  


• The virus takes its name from the Ebola River in Zaire (Now Democratic Republic of the Congo) where the disease was first observed.
  


• It is spread by contact of an infected person’s bodily fluids or simply inhaled by airborne particles from infected areas where the Ebola Virus dwells.


• The Ebola Virus is an extremely contagious disease that is discovered to cause fatal hemorrhagic fevers. This hemorrhagic fever virus is associated with rapidly progressing severe disease with a high mortality rate, making them a dangerous threat to the public health.
  


• After the first case-patient in an outbreak setting is infected, the virus can be transmitted in several ways. People can be exposed to Ebola virus from direct contact with the blood and/or of an infected person.

• In African health-care facilities, patients are often cared for without the use of a mask, gown, or gloves. Exposure to the virus has occurred when health care workers treated individuals with the Ebola without wearing these types of protective clothing. In addition, when needles or syringes are used, they may not be of the disposable type, or may not have been sterilized, but only rinsed before reinsertion into multi-use vials of medicine. If needles or syringes become contaminated with virus and are then reused, numerous people can become infected.
  

Normal Body Function

• The Ebola Virus affects every organ and tissue in the body except muscle and bone.



• The liver regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes a product called bile, which helps carry away waste products from the liver. All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver.
  
  
• More than 500 vital functions have been identified with the liver.
  
  


• Bile by-products enter the intestine and ultimately leave the body in the form of feces. Blood by-products are filtered out by the kidneys, and leave the body in the form of urine.



• The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines. Every day, a person’s kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water.

The Zaire Ebola Virus

• The Zaire Ebola Virus is a notoriously deadly virus that causes fearsome symptoms, the most prominent being high fever and massive internal bleeding. Ebola virus kills as many as 90% of the people it infects.

• It is one of the viruses that are capable of causing hemorrhagic (bloody) fever.

• Epidemics of Ebola virus have occurred mainly in African countries including Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), Gabon, Uganda, the Ivory Coast, and Sudan.

• Ebola virus is transmitted by contact with blood, feces or body fluids from an infected person or by direct contact with the virus, as in a laboratory.

• The incubation period --the period between contact with the virus and the appearance of symptoms -- ranges from 2 to 21 days.

Prevention/Treation

• The Ebola Virus has no known vaccines or cures.
  

• The origins of the Ebola Virus were unknown so there is few established Ebola prevention measures.
  

• Currently, patients receive supportive therapy. This consists of balancing the patient's fluids and electrolytes, maintaining their oxygen level and blood pressure, and treating them for any complicating infections. Death can occur within 10 days of the onset of symptoms.
  


• The prevention of the spread of Ebola fever involves practical viral hemorrhagic fever isolation precautions, or barrier nursing techniques. These techniques include the wearing of protective clothing, such as masks, gloves, gowns, and goggles; the use of infection-control measures, including complete equipment sterilization; and the isolation of Ebola fever patients from contact with unprotected persons.

Conclusion

• This disease is known to be one of the top most deadly diseases in the world.

• Strict hygiene is very important and should be practiced regularly to avoid diseases similar to the Zaire Ebola Virus.

• In November of 1995, Russian scientist claimed that they had discovered a cure for Ebola. It uses an antibody called Immunoglobulin G (IgG). This discovery does give grounds for optimism that an effective cure for Ebola can be found.

References

· Chang TH, Kubota T, Matsuoka M, Jones S, Bradfute SB, Bray M, Ozato K. (2009)
Ebola Zaire Virus blocks type I interferon production by exploiting the host SUMO modification machinery.
Retrived August 10, 2009, from PubMed Database:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19557165?ordinalpos=6&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

· EBOLA VIRUS (2008). Ebola Outbreak Vexes Zaire.
Retrieved July 22, 2009, from The Rio Dulce, Guatemala Information Web Site: http://www.mayaparadise.com/ebola.htm

· eMedicine (2009). Ebola Virus.Retrieved August 10, 2009, from eMedicine Web site:http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/216288-overview

· MedcineNet (2009). Definition of Ebola virus.Retrieved August 10, 2009, from MedicineNet Web site:http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=6518

· Spiropoulou CF, Ranjan P, Pearce MB, Sealy TK, Albariño CG, Gangappa S, Fujita T, Rollin PE, Nichol ST, Ksiazek TG, Sambhara S. (2009) RIG-I activation inhibits ebolavirus replication. Retrieved August 10, 2009, from PubMed Database: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19628240?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum