Download Jessie Ngandjui Pre-Med A Seminar Andrew Grosovsky 05/18/2015

Jessie Ngandjui
Pre-Med A Seminar
Andrew Grosovsky
05/18/2015
Emerging Virus
The 2014 Ebola Epidemic which was previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever is
caused by an infection by one of the Ebola virus strains. The virus can cause disease in humans
and other primates. The virus comes from the family Filoviridae and the genus Ebolavirus. Bats
are known to be the most likely reservoir host of Ebola. But according to CDC, “Ebola was
discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
An outbreak of Ebola virus spread amongst several African countries in 2014 and the fatality rate
was at around 50%. It affected countries such as Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, etc. A
lot of the countries in Africa had really high death rates because they did not have access to
proper medial facilities. The article, “Ebola Scare: Are Our Hospitals Prepared?” by Brandon
Grill said,
“However, compared to most hospitals in African countries, American medical facilities
are very well-equipped. Dr. Tupesis has been working for eight years with the Health Education
and Relief through Teaching (HEARTT) Foundation in Liberia, where, he unequivocally stated
that their hospitals are in poor shape. When he started working with this organization, the entire
country of 4 million had less than 50 physicians. ‘Even simple resources like gloves are severely
limited. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gown in the eight years I’ve worked there,’ Tupesis says.”
( Wisconsinengineer par. 8)
If those countries had a better healthcare system and also made the public aware of what Ebola
was and what they were dealing with, it would have reduced the amount of deaths. When people
in those countries had Ebola, none of them probably knew what it was and by the time they
realized, it was too late. Although Ebola is very fatal, there are other disease which are easily
transmitted and kill a lot more people such as the human Swine flu.
There were also several cases that were reported in the United States. One case was a
cameraman who worked for NBC news in Liberia and he was flown out of the country to
Nebraska Medical center in Omaha. He has been treated with experimental drug Brincidofovir..
Another case of Ebola in the United States was that of Thomas Duncan, who was the first patient
diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. When he began feeling ill, he went to the hospital and
a nurse gave him antibiotics. He came back to the hospital three days later by ambulance after he
was vomiting. Duncan was placed in isolation and he died eleven days later.
The swine flu pandemic of 2009, is an extremely contagious disease caused by a new
strain of influenza virus. The human swine flu is also known as H1N1 type A influenza. “The
swine flu pandemic of 2009 may have killed up to 203,000 people worldwide—10 times higher
than the first estimates based on the number of cases confirmed by lab tests according to a new
analysis by an international group of scientists.” (livescience) The disease is called swine flu
because it was similar to the disease found in live pigs. According to medecinenet,
“Swine flu (swine influenza) is a respiratory disease caused by viruses (influenza viruses) that
infect the respiratory tract of pigs, resulting in nasal secretions, a barking cough, decreased
appetite, and listless behavior. Swine flu produces most of the same symptoms in pigs as human
flu produces in people…. In a number of instances, people have developed the swine flu
infection when they are closely associated with pigs (for example, farmers, pork processors), and
likewise, pig populations have occasionally been infected with the human flu infection.”
The Flu is a much more contagious disease than Ebola is spread when you either inhale
infected droplets in the air (spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes) or when you
come in direct contact with an infected person's secretions (by kissing, touching, sharing objects
such as spoons and forks). You can also transfer the flu virus to your hands by touching smooth
surfaces such as doorknobs, handles, television remotes, computer keyboards, and telephones.
Then when your hands come in contact with your nose, eyes, or mouth, the flu virus gets
absorbed. But the flu vaccine also reduces your chances of getting it. The Ebola virus is
transmitted by blood or bodily fluids, needles, and infected fruit bats. Symptoms of Ebola might
take 2 to 21 days before they appear. The flu virus can prevented by taking a flu shot and can
also be treated with antiviral medications. The CDC says, most people with the flu have mild
illness and do not need medical care or antiviral drugs. If you get sick with flu symptoms, in
most cases, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical
care. If, however, you have symptoms of flu and are in a high risk group, or are very sick or
worried about your illness, contact your health care provider.” But there is no cure for Ebola yet
but there are some things people can do to improve their rate of survival. They can “Providing
intravenous fluids (IV) and balancing electrolytes (body salts), Maintain oxygen status and blood
pressure, Treat other infections if they occur.” (CDC)
Although Ebola is a very deadly disease, people have taken precautions to the extreme.
Some people have no idea how the disease is contracted but form a judgment about the disease
from all the media. Some people go as far as to saying that the CDC doesn’t understand the threat
of the virus. I came across an article on NBC News and it was talking about a travel on frontier
airlines who was taking extra precautions to protect himself from the disease. The source says,
“Fawley wore a surgical mask and rubber gloves to give himself what he considered an extra level
of protection against the Ebola virus, even though it's not airborne. Instead, it's spread through
contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms of the virus.” This
shows how much people have no knowledge about the disease is and how people can get infected
by the disease.
The CDC is trying to find ways to slow down the spread of Ebola and the quote below
explain some of the things they have been doing:
“The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting multiple countries in West Africa.
There were a small number of cases reported in Nigeria and a single case reported in Senegal;
however, these cases are considered to be contained, with no further spread in these countries. Two
imported cases, including one death, and two locally acquired cases in healthcare workers have
been reported in the United States. CDC and partners are taking precautions to prevent the further
spread of Ebola within the United States. CDC is working with other U.S. government agencies,
the World Health Organization (WHO), and other domestic and international partners and has
activated its Emergency Operations Center to help coordinate technical assistance and control
activities with partners. CDC has also deployed teams of public health experts to West Africa and
will continue to send experts to the affected countries.” (CDC)
There is still a lot of research to be done about Ebola and how to cure it. But people
do not need to worry about it as much because there are other diseases that spread faster and kill a
lot more people than Ebola does. People are afraid because they see that it came from a countries
in the West Africa to a couple states in the United States. And some people also take extreme
majors to “protect” themselves. All the reactions and comments people had about Ebola was
somewhat influenced by media. The media does a bad job at explaining and making people aware.
Hopefully people will be less scared when they read information from the right place.
Works Cited
"About Ebola Virus Disease." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 08 Dec. 2014. Web. 18 May 2015.
"The Flu: What To Do If You Get Sick." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Aug. 2014. Web. 18 May 2015.
Gholipour, By Bahar. "2009 Swine-Flu Death Toll 10 Times Higher Than Thought."
LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 18 May 2015.
Lebeau, Phil. "Ebola Fears: Worried Fliers Wear Masks, Gloves." CNBC. N.p., 16 Oct. 2014.
Web. 18 May 2015.
"Swine Flu: Read About Symptoms, Treatment and H1N1 Vaccine." MedicineNet. N.p., n.d.
Web. 18 May 2015.
"The Wisconsin Engineer." Ebola Scare: Are Our Hospitals Prepared? -. N.p., n.d. Web. 18
May 2015.