Ebola Virus Review

  Ebola hemorrhagic fever is one of the most fatal viral diseases worldwide affecting humans and nonhuman primates.

  Although infections only occurred frequently in Central Africa, the virus has the potential to spread globally and is classified as a category A pathogen that could be misused as a bioterrorism agent. As of today there is no vaccine or treatment licensed to counteract Ebola virus infections.

  DNA, subunit and several viral vector approaches, replicating and non-replicating, have been tested as potential vaccine platforms and their protective efficacy has been evaluated in nonhuman primate models for Ebola virus infections, which closely resemble disease progression in humans. Though these vaccine platforms seem to confer protection through different mechanisms, several of them are efficacious against lethal disease in nonhuman primates attesting that vaccination against Ebola virus infections is feasible.

  What's fueling the current outbreak? A few things. The virus has struck densely populated cities, such as Conakry, Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; and Lagos, Nigeria. Cases have cropped up in more than 60 hot spots across a large swath of land.
 
  How does it spread? Through close contact with infected blood, saliva, urine, stool and vomit.
 
  Symptoms: It can take anywhere from two to 21 days after infection for symptoms to kick in, but once they do, the pain is excruciating. It starts off with a fever, muscle pains, vomiting and diarrhea. It also makes the victims so weak that it leaves them bedridden. As the virus spreads, it can shut down major organs, such as the kidneys and liver. And the infection can cause internal and external bleeding from openings in the body, including eyes, ears, nose, rectum and even pores. The peak of the illness is the first seven to 10 days, during which patients are most likely to die.

  What happens to Ebola survivors? Suffering through Ebola is a traumatic experience in itself. Returning home from an isolation ward can also be a challenge. Ebola survivors are likely to be shunned and isolated by their communities. Many people still think survivors are contagious. This is where education and grand gestures from health care workers, a big kiss on the patient's cheek can help to mitigate the stigma.