The ebola virus is the cause of an acute illness that attacks multiple organ systems and can be fatal if left untreated. A few months later, the second ebola virus emerged from yambuku, zaire, ebola zaire eboz. In 1976, ebola named after the ebola river in zaire first emerged in sudan and zaire. Ebola virus, a rna virus, was discovered in 1976 as zaire ebolavirus and currently is responsible for outbreak in the west africa. Ebola virus zaire ebolavirus, sudan virus sudan ebolavirus.
There are six known species of viruses within the genus ebolavirus. Ebola virus disease evb or ebola hemorrhagic fever ehf is an rna virus that is part of the filoviridae family of diseases of which there are three membersmarburg virus, cueva virus, and, our concern, ebola virus. The outbreak started in guinea and rapidly spread to liberia and sierra leone, claiming thousands of lives. Ebola disease ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. This article is an overview of the many published investigations of how ebola virus circulates in its. Ebola virus haemorrhagic fever viral diseases enivd. Protect yourself and your colleagues at the workplace. Ebola reston is named after the american community of reston, virginia, where an outbreak of fatal disease among primates imported to the united states for laboratory research occurred in 1990. Ebola virus definition of ebola virus by merriamwebster. Signs and symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, sore throat, muscular pain, and headaches. Oct 06, 2014 conclusion who is supporting the national authorities in the response to an outbreak of ebola virus disease evd. Apr 28, 2016 there is presently no known cure for ebola.
The first outbreak of ebola ebolasudan infected over 284 people, with a mortality rate of 53%. Ebola, a history by david quammen the new york times. Ebola virus ebov derived its name from the ebola river in democratic republic of congo drc formerly zaire where the first ebola virus disease evd outbreak was identified in 1976. The hunt for ebola a cdc team races to uganda just days after an outbreak of the killer virus to try to pinpoint exactly how it is transmitted to humans after ebola is confirmed, doctors and. Ebola was first identified in 1976 near the ebola river in the country now known as the democratic republic of the congo. History of ebola virus disease error processing ssi file. Ebola virus antibody prevalence in dogs and human risk.
There have been several ebola outbreaks, including the 20142016 unprecedented. Introduction to ebola disease world health organization. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and then spreads in the human population through humantohuman transmission. Ebola virus disease evd is a severe disease caused by ebola virus, a member of the filovirus family, which occurs in humans and other primates. Vomiting, diarrhoea and rash usually follow, along with decreased function of the liver and. In 2014, west african countries guinea, liberia, and sierra leone. This study, which was carried out in december 2014, aimed to find out how 25 villages viewed the ebola threat, and how they coped with regulations designed to eliminate the disease.
The outbreak started in guinea and rapidly spread to liberia and sierra leone, claiming. Ebola virus disease evd was first identified in 1976 following simultaneous outbreaks in sudan and zaire now the democratic republic of congo, or drc in africa. Ebola is caused by infection with a virus of the family filoviridae, genus ebolavirus. The incubation period the time interval from infection to. Ebola was first identified in 1976 near the ebola river in the country now known as. Persistence and genetic stability of ebola virus during the out. This vaccine is genetically engineered to express a glycoprotein from zaire ebolavirus to provoke a neutralizing immune response. This news comes just two years after international control efforts eventually contained an ebola outbreak in west africa, though before control was achieved, more than 11,000 people diedthe largest known ebola outbreak in human history 1. Ebola virus disease evd, one of the deadliest viral diseases, was discovered in 1976 when two consecutive outbreaks of fatal hemorrhagic fever occurred in different parts of central africa. Historically, outbreaks of evd have been confined to a single country and have been brought under control by domestic health agencies working in. The outbreak of ebola virus disease evd occurring in west africa since december 20 will mark the history however brief of the viruses.
The natural and human history of a deadly virus, mr. Mbgv, both of which are associated with severe disease marburg virus disease mvd in humans 3,4. Drc getting ready to introduce a second ebola vaccine. The natural and human history of a deadly virus is a very interesting behindthescenes look at the quest to find the host animal carrying this devastating virus.
There are five ebola subspecies, four of which are known to cause the disease. Health care professionals discovered ebola in 1976. Since then, there have been sporadic outbreaks in africa. The four villages have been singled out for analysis because they belong to a trans. Ebola is one of the deadliest viruses known to medical science, with no specific cure and mortality rates of up to 90 percent. Early supportive care with rehydration, symptomatic treatment improves survival. In 2014 and 2015, the largest ebola virus disease evd outbreak in history affected large populations across west africa. Ebola hemorrhagic fever ebola virus disease is a disease caused by four different strains of ebola virus. The mucinliked region of the ebola virus envelope play a significant role in viral infection in nonhuman primates and. Over the past 40 years, sporadic ebola virus disease evd outbreaks have occurred mostly in the central african region. History of ebola in liberia the patriotic vanguard. On 11 june 2019, the who confirmed that a fiveyearold boy in uganda died after being diagnosed with ebola.
Ebola is a severe, often fatal disease that can occur. The average ebola case fatality rate is around 50%. The outbreak is now confirmed to be caused by a strain of ebola virus with very close homology 98% to the zaire ebola virus. The ebola epidemic now raging in west africa is the worst one in history. Pravda reported on november 8, 2014 that usa created ebola virus as a biological weapon as well as its vaccine for the profit of american pharmaceutical companies. In a 20072008 outbreak of ebolabundibugyo virus in uganda, 25 percent of those who got infected died, while in several outbreaks in zairedemocratic republic of the congo and nearby gabon, the. Ebola virus definition is any of several filoviruses genus ebolavirus and especially species zaire ebolavirus of african origin that cause an often fatal hemorrhagic fever. This brief book is a product of sections of his 2012 book spillover and recent events. Pdf the natural history of ebola virus in africa jean. Ebola virus disease evd, formerly known as ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
There are five identified ebola virus species, four. It can be transmitted from wild animals, such as bats, to humans and then caught from close contact with body fluid from infected individuals. A virus consists of a core of nucleic acid, either rna or dna, surrounded by a coating of antigenic protein and sometimes a lipid layer surrounds it as well. Ebola is also known as ebola virus disease evd or ebola hemorrhagic fever ehf. Efficacy of vesicular stomatitis virusebola virus postexposure treatment in rhesus macaques infected with ebola virus makona. And until we find it, ebola will continue to strike. Here he tells the story of ebolaits past, present, and its unknowable future. Aug 23, 2018 ebola virus, together with the marburg virus, belongs to the family filoviridae. As of 20 february 2020 the outbreak is still ongoing. Ebola virus disease evd is an infectious disease that is spread through humans when blood or bodily fluids urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen from a person infected with ebola come into direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes such as eyes, nose, or mouth with another. Safety and health topics ebola background occupational. Ebola virus disease evd general information what is ebola virus disease. The 20142016 ebola outbreak in west africa has ended. The first outbreak of ebola ebola sudan infected over 284 people, with a mortality rate of 53%.
Ebola in humans called ebola virus disease is actually a recent virus, with the first known outbreak occurring in africa in 1976. Reston virus outbreaks in primates have occurred in the philippines, the united states and italy. Oct 03, 2014 the outbreak of ebola virus disease evd occurring in west africa since december 20 will mark the history however brief of the viruses. But the ongoing west african outbreak is the largest ebola virus disease outbreak in the history, world health organization who reported a total of 28,599 cases observed and 11,289 deaths from. The disease emerged in 1976 in almost simultaneous. In march 2014, an outbreak of evd was recognized in guinea which would become the most significant outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in africa to date. It is a severe, often fatal disease 50%90% fatality in humans and nonhuman primates such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees. This virus has been found to have an average mortality rate of 88 percent in humans, one of the highest recorded. The first outbreak occurred in the democratic republic of congo formerly zaire in a village near the ebola river, which gave the virus its name. Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a viral disease caused by ebola virus a member of the filoviridae family or filoviruses that results in nonspecific symptoms see symptom section of this article early in the disease and often causes internal and external hemorrhage bleeding as the disease progresses. In this brief the bioethics commission focuses on ethical challenges raised by the current ebola epidemic in western africa, with a particular focus on the u. Medical scientific community first encountered this viral family when marburg virus appeared in 1967. Acclaimed science writer and explorer david quammen first came near the virus while he was traveling in the jungles of gabon, accompanied by local men whose village had been devastated by a recent outbreak. This list of ebola outbreaks records the known occurrences of ebola virus disease, a highly infectious and acutely lethal viral disease that has afflicted humans and animals primarily in equatorial africa.
In this state, it tries to quickly to get out of the dead body and to enter into the body of anyone who touches it. This article is an overview of the many published investigations of how ebola virus circulates in its natural environment, focusing on the viral reservoir, susceptible animal species, environmental conditions favoring interspecies transmission, and how. Ebola virus disease evd is one of numerous viral hemorrhagic fevers. This product has been confirmed to be efficacious in guinea pigs, but it is not as useful in rhesus monkeys or the mouse model of ebola virus infection 86, 87. Since its discovery in 1976, the majority of cases and outbreaks of ebola virus disease have occurred in africa. Several countries spanning the equatorial forest regions of africa have had outbreaks of ebola hemorrhagic fever over the last three decades. Ebola virus disease formerly known as ebola hemorrhagic fever is a rare and often deadly illness caused by the. Ebola virus disease first appeared in 1976 in a simultaneous outbreak in the areas that are now sudan and the democratic republic of the congo, according to the world health organization who. Fortunately, both china and russia have also developed their own vaccines against ebola virus, which will break the monopoly of american pharmaceutical companies. The ebola virus was first isolated and identified to 1976 in the democratic republic of congo. Ebola virus disease has a fatality rate of 50% to 90%. Since its initial discovery, cases of ebola fever have been identified and quarantined across central africa. The current west african outbreak of 2014 is the largest and most complex outbreak to date, sparking more cases and. The pathogens responsible for the disease are the five ebolaviruses recognized by the international committee on taxonomy of viruses.
The natural history of ebola virus in africa sciencedirect. The natural and human history of a deadly virus by david quammen ebola. Quammen puts the frightening reality of ebola and the heightened language. The ebola virus a virus is an ultramicroscopic infectious organism that, having no independent metabolic activity, can replicate only within a cell of another host organism. Merck has been approved in the united states and europe. Ebola virus disease evd is a severe, often fatal, viral disease. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and then spreads in the human population through. Visit the ebola outbreak section for information on current ebola outbreaks on march 23, 2014, the world health organization who reported cases of ebola virus disease evd in the forested rural region of southeastern guinea. Within its branch of the filoviridae tree, ebola comes in five species. Ebola, also known as ebola virus disease evd, is a viral haemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses. A, philippines, and italy came from the reston subtype of the ebola virus, and phylogenic trees have shown that reston exists as an ortholog from the known. But the ongoing west african outbreak is the largest ebola virus disease outbreak in the history, world health organization who reported a total of.
Once the more virulent forms enter the human population, transmission occurs primarily through contact with infected body fluids and can result in major epidemics in underresourced settings. This fact sheet sets out the recommendations of the comite sur les infections nosocomiales du quebec cinq2 for ebola virus disease prevention and control measures for quebec hospitals. Currently, there are evd outbreaks in several western african nations, including guinea, liberia, sierra leone and parts of nigeria. The other genus in the family filoviridae is marburgvirus, consisting of marburg virus and ravn virus termed marburgviruses. Ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
The present volume contains the full proceedings papers and discussions of the international. A few months later, the second ebola virus emerged from yambuku, zaire, ebolazaire eboz. The ebola virus causes the often fatal ebola virus disease evd previously known as ebola hemorrhagic fever. Ebola virus disease evd is a rare and oftenfatal infection caused by one of the five strains of the ebola virus. Ebola hemorrhagic fever ebola virus disease medicinenet. Persistence of ebola virus after the end of widespread transmission in liberia. On july 27, 1976, the very first person to contract the ebola virus began to show symptoms. On 1 august 2018, the democratic republic of the congo ministry of health declared an outbreak when 4 individuals tested positive for the ebola virus. The ebola virus is not species dependent, and this is caused by the fact that there have been 4 subtypes isolated from the outbreaks and quarantines. Ebola virus, together with the marburg virus, belongs to the family filoviridae. Conclusion who is supporting the national authorities in the response to an outbreak of ebola virus disease evd. Occurring for the first time outside its original home the central african rainforest this epidemic of evd appears as the deadliest and longest of all those known so far. The natural and human history of a deadly virus by. Over the course of the next few months, the first ebola outbreaks in history occurred in sudan and zaire, with a.
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