LIFESCI 3C03 Lecture 2: Ebola Summary
18 Feb 2019
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Department
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Professor
Ebola - a viral disease
Significance
Ebola is on of the most lethal known diseases - it's also relatively new and an active focus of research •
recent Ebola outbreaks in Africa highlight some of the challenges of protecting public health during times of fear •
and mourning in communities
Ebolavirus
fruit bats are though to be the natural host •
the virus targets liver, immune and endothelial cells •
infected cells produce a protein that disrupts cell adhesion •
can also infect non-human primates •
Symptoms
symptoms appear 2-21 days after infection •
early symptoms include ever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat •
later symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, kidney and liver failure and bleeding •
Ebola's Spread
human infections occur through close contact with blood, organs or bodily fluids from infected animals, fruit bats •
of non-human primates found sick or dead in the rainforest
Ebola needs a host cell to survive ◦
it can survive outside of the body with a cell ◦
human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with blood, organs or bodily fluids from infected •
individuals, or with contaminated surfaces
people are infectious as long as their blood contains the virus •
Prevention
reduce the risk of wildlife-to-human and human-to-human transmission •
promptly identify and isolate people who may have been exposed •
promptly bury the deceased •
maintain good personal hygiene and a clean environment •
an experimental vaccine is showing positive results •
Ebola Treatment
there's no approved treatment for Ebola •
scientists are evaluating different approaches, including blood, immune and drug therapies •
supportive care, including rehydration, improves survival •
the average mortality rate is approx. 50% but the rate varies by strain and can be as high as 90% •
Central Africa, 1976
doctors reported a case of hemorrhagic fever in Yambuku, a small village near the Ebola river in what was then •
Zaire - now known as Democratic Republic of Congo
the patient had received malaria treatment at a local hospital - one week later, several people who were treated •
at the hospital or had close contact with the patient showed similar symptoms
of the hospital's 17 health care workers, 11 died from the disease •
the virus ultimately killed 280 people -only 38 infected individuals survived •
A New Virus
doctors in Zaire sent vials of infected blood to a lab in Belgium, where scientists discovered a lasso-shaped virus •
resembling Marburg
Marburg is also a hemorrhagic fever virus ◦
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
A new virus there"s no approved treatment for ebola scientists are evaluating different approaches, including blood, immune and drug therapies supportive care, including rehydration, improves survival the average mortality rate is approx. 50% but the rate varies by strain and can be as high as 90% doctors reported a case of hemorrhagic fever in yambuku, a small village near the ebola river in what was then. Ta forest ebolavirus - not as serious as first two. Bundibugyo ebolavirus - not as serious as first two. Reston ebolavirus - does not sicken humans, primates infected first. Bombali ebola virus - unknown effects in humans. There have been 35 ebola outbreaks prior to 2014, 1644 people have died from ebola between 2014-2016, there were 11,000+ ebola deaths. Risking their lives to save others health care workers are up to 32 times more likely to be infected with ebola than people in the general population (who)
