Ebola: what is it?

Similar to HIV, Ebola was originally contracted from animals, likely bats. The virus was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River (hence the name Ebola) near the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of the five different strains of the virus, four are deadly to humans. The fifth strain has only been found in chimpanzees and other primates.

Where does it come from?

The original reservoir host is unknown, but doctors believe that fruit bats are to blame for the most recent cases. Powered by culture and the prospect of starvation, western Africans often resort to eating bats and other bush meat (meat that comes from the African bush, or jungle). These animals are completely wild, and are often found already dead, so it’s impossible to track the spread of disease.

Why is it spreading so quickly?

A large part of why Ebola is spreading so quickly is because of the culture of Western Africa. Many West Africans fear that if they send their sick to hospitals, they will never come back. As a result, families often hide the infected, putting the rest of the community at greater risk. Many Western Africans also believe in washing their dead, and because the Ebola virus stays in the body for a few days after the victim passes, those attending the funeral are extremely susceptible.

Of course, modern transportation is largely to blame for the disease spreading outside of Africa, as well. It is all too easy to just hop on a plane and send your infection elsewhere.

Ebola outside Africa?

Believe it or not, Thomas Eric Duncan was not the first case of Ebola in America. There were reported cases in 1989, 1990, and 1996. Unlike Duncan, no one in those previous cases died.

So far, the only other confirmed case outside of Africa and the U.S. has been in Spain, although there are suspicions of a case in France.

How can I contract it?

You can contract Ebola by being exposed to bodily fluids (saliva, blood, vomit, feces, and semen) of an infected person. It’s not like the common cold; you can’t get it just from being around someone who has it.

What are these “Ebola-like symptoms” I’ve heard about?

They are flu-like symptoms: nausea, vomiting, hemorrhaging (abnormal bleeding), headache, muscle weakness, and diarrhea.

Because early symptoms of Ebola are similar to symptoms of the flu, there is a fear that people who actually have the flu will come running to the hospitals screaming Ebola. No fear: your sniffly nose is probably just the normal flu.

What happens to the infected? How deadly is it?

Part of why Ebola is so deadly is because it attacks the cells that typically act as your body’s first line of defense.  The virus attacks in a manner that causes blood clots that damage internal organs. It’s the hemorrhaging of blood vessels and organ failure that will eventually kill a victim.

Although it is extremely deadly, and has a 60-90 percent death rate, some people who contract Ebola do survive. Those people then develop immunities for at least ten years.  Being able to survive largely relies on the quality of care you receive, intravenous and oral hydration, and the strength of your immune system.

But what about modern medicine?

Currently there is a therapeutic product (not a vaccine) called ZMapp that is in the early stages of experimentation, but nothing has been approved by the FDA yet. Ebola has never been as widespread as it is now, so there was never a rush for a vaccine. There are also a few different strains, which makes making a vaccine more difficult.

Can I prevent it?

Besides staying away from West African fruit bats, there’s not much you can do. Most of the advice from the CDC is for healthcare workers who knowingly come in contact with the disease. In general, wash your hands, and don’t touch the bodily fluids of an infected person (or any person, for that matter).