Alright, so there's been a lot of talk about the Ebola outbreak and the subsequent transport of infected individuals to the United States.
And if you know me at all, you know I like a good controversial topic for blogs.
On this one, however, I'm not going to say much about the controversies of this topic (Should those patients have been brought here? Should ZMapp and other experimental drugs be used on patients [regardless of the country in which they're treated]? Should we be worried about the virus spreading in the US? etc.). I simply want everyone to stop posting on social media about their strong opinions regarding these issues when in actuality they don't know the first about Ebola.
So I'm compiling a summary of things I think you should know so you can formulate your own informed thoughts on the matter.
And guess what: everything I'm about to tell you is coming from reputable sources (yay!! insert cheering here!). They're coming from peer-reviewed articles and I may even throw something in here from sources like the CDC or Mayo Clinic (yes, those two are relatively dependable and often cite peer-reviewed sources in their articles) or some other academic resources. I'll even put all my sources at the bottom of the page and color-code the sections with info from those sources so you'll know where to go for more info (you might want more info on some things because let's be real: I'm not writing a dissertation here).
What does all that mean? WELL. It means that unless you're one of those I-hate-"Big-Pharma" individuals who thinks that every doctor and scientist is part of a "Big Pharma" government conspiracy, then you should believe everything I say here because it's derived from tested, falsifiable data that resulted from real research.
Anyway, here ya go. Everything I find important about Ebola all in one place:
1) Ebola is a hemorrhagic disease. That means you bleed from literally every orifice of your body, but it starts with just the typical flu symptoms. The incubation period (the time it takes you to get sick after being exposed) can be between 2 and 21 days. Up to 90% (depending on origin/strain) die from this disease. The first documented Ebola case was in 1976.
2) The disease is caused by Ebola virus (different sources use "ebolavirus," in which cases you'd specify by strain: Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Taï Forest ebolavirus; but I'm speaking in general terms here and will therefore use only the term "Ebola virus.").
Ebola is NOT caused by bacteria, parasites, or other protozoans. It's not caused by molds or other fungi.
Ebola virus is a member of the Filovirus family (along with Marburg virus, which is also the cause of a hemorrhagic disease) and is an RNA virus (which means nothing to you unless you're into the science-y stuff, in which case it's important for you to know that).
It may also interest you to the know that the Reston strain was shown to be asymptomatic in humans.
3) Every virus comes from somewhere in nature. That place in nature is called a reservoir for the virus. The sources of every virus is not necessarily known yet. The reservoir of the Ebola virus is currently thought to be the fruit bat.
4) How contagious is Ebola? Well, that's debatable depending upon your source because "how contagious" is a pretty subjective if you ask me. Without interjecting my personal opinion, here are the facts:
You can contract the virus through contact with blood, secretions (and other bodily fluids), or organs of infected individuals (or even contact with those things in infected primates).
Men can also pass on the virus through semen for 7 weeks after recovering from the illness (assuming they survive it in the first place).
If you're traveling to areas where Ebola is prominent, here is a good resource from the CDC to help you prevent contracting the disease:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/Fact_Sheets/humanitarian.pdf
It's important to note the social implications of these facts. The mourning/burial rituals of some of the cultures in Africa where Ebola is currently prominent have to be ceased during these outbreaks because special burial protocol must be followed for Ebola victims. It's heartbreaking that their families and communities don't get the chance to mourn in the way they wish to do for their loved ones.
5) There is currently no proven-effective treatment or vaccine. Some studies have shown it's possible to develop vaccines -- at least for primates (but that gives us some hope, right?)-- for the virus but so far none have been developed and approved.
ZMapp is an experimental drug that has just recently been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for use during the current outbreak. It was produced from mouse antibodies by a company called Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. It has so far only been tested on infected animals (believe it or not, it's difficult to get permission to try out new drugs on humans) but due to the severity of this outbreak, an exception has been made.
So far, the Americans who have received the experimental treatment (and some doctors in Liberia who also received the treatment) seem to be recovering.
Could this experimental treatment prove most effective? Hope so!
Well that was what I thought was most important for you to know while also sparing some of the more cumbersome details. Now you can come up with opinions on the topics while knowing the facts. Please visit the sources (listed below and color-coded with the facts above) to get more details and information. Stay healthy and be respectful if you comment!
Sources (not written in any special format, just the URLs):
http://www.pnas.org/content/94/26/14764.full?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Sanchez&searchid=QID_NOT_SET&FIRSTINDEX=
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7068/full/438575a.html
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0042682287902832
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v408/n6812/full/408605a0.html
https://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/17723053/115806057/name/nejmp1409494.pdf
http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g5161.abstract
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