Ebola Virus

Excerpt

Ebola virus belongs to the Filoviridae family. The name is derived from the Latin word "filum" meaning thread. The filamentous virus has a characteristic twisted thread shape. Filoviridae viruses are negative-strand RNA viruses. They are the most common to infect humans and primates, causing highly fatal hemorrhagic fever. The most virulent virus in the family is the Marburgvirus, whereas, the third member of the family, the Ceuvavirus, thus far, only exists in bats endemic to Spain. There are five subtypes of Ebolaviruses named based on topographic discovery: Zaire, Bundibugyo, Sudan, Reston, and Tai Forest. According to the World Health Organization, fruit bats belonging to the Pteropodidae family may serve as the natural host for the Ebola virus.

Ebola virus disease, once known by, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is defined by the iconic hemorrhagic fever, but more common symptoms are non-specific such as fever, malaise, headache, diarrhea, or vomiting. The disease can quickly progress to multi-organ system failure leading to shock followed by death. The case-fatality rate ranges from 25% to 90%; the average case fatality rate is about 50%. The range is dependent primarily on the type of strain of ebolavirus, the deadliest strain being Zaire ebolavirus. The main variables impacting survival-rate is early identification of disease and access to healthcare for patient stabilization and supportive medical care.

Due to the increased incidence of outbreaks with the Ebola virus disease, early detection remains vital to reduce the risk of an epidemic. Several countermeasures, such as creating a vaccine and rapid testing with immunoassays or real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were taken in efforts to reduce the risk of a global pandemic or exhausting epidemic. Previously, the virus was identified in blood samples using an electron microscope. The virus is very resilient, killing the virus requires high doses of gamma irradiation and ultraviolet light, long periods of 30 minutes or more of intense heat 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). There is still no cure or prophylaxis treatment for patients with Ebola virus disease.