Battling A Deadly Virus
Over the summer, health officials raced to contain the spread of a deadly virus – Ebola. By mid-August, 1,069 people had died in the four West African countries affected since the outbreak began last December: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Another 1,975 were ill with the disease. It’s the largest Ebola outbreak the world has ever seen.
“The scale of the current Ebola epidemic is unprecedented in terms of geographic distribution, people infected and deaths,” said Doctors Without Borders, the aid organization treating infected people in the region.
What Is Ebola?
Those infected by Ebola first experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches and pains, and sore throat. That is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, and then external and internal bleeding. There is no vaccine against Ebola, and no known cure for those infected.
The mortality rate is among the highest of any disease: it can be up to 90 percent, although about 60 percent of those infected are dying in the current epidemic. Hospital care that includes supplying patients with plenty of liquids and oxygen to keep their blood pressure steady, and dealing with other complications as they come up, can greatly improve a victim’s chance of survival.
How Is Ebola Passed On?
Ebola first surfaced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Sudan in 1976. The origin of the virus is unknown, but fruit bats are the most likely host. They can infect animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas and monkeys. The virus can then be passed to humans when they come into contact with infected animals.
Once a person falls sick with Ebola, the virus can be spread from human to human. However, it is not highly contagious, because infection requires direct contact with the blood, body fluids (urine, sweat, saliva) or tissues of infected people who are showing symptoms.
Reasons For The Spread
So why, then, is Ebola spreading so quickly through West Africa? One reason is unfamiliarity. This is the first time Ebola has appeared in West Africa, and many people are unaware of the causes of the disease and how to prevent its spread. For instance, when someone dies from Ebola, family members often become infected after handling the body during burial preparations.
Another factor is fear. Some people are hiding the illness instead of reporting it and seeking help because they don’t trust the government. They believe the epidemic is a hoax. Meanwhile, they’re infecting others.
Dr. Richard Olds, a tropical disease specialist, gives this scenario: “A loved one goes into a green tent, with people in space suits that don’t look like Africans, and never comes out again; that is an environment that breeds a lot of suspicion and stories that are very counterproductive to the efforts of public health.”
Geography is another contributor. Earlier outbreaks of the virus elsewhere on the African continent were more easily contained because they happened in just one location. This time, Ebola is occurring across a large area, and in many places at the same time. The affected areas are also tending to be more densely populated and more urban, and the people there are more mobile – all factors that make it easier for the virus to spread.
Meanwhile, there are not enough health care workers or facilities to meet the need. For example, an 80-bed treatment centre that opened up in Liberia’s capital in mid-August filled up immediately, leaving dozens more who showed up to be treated the next day without help.
“The demands created by this unprecedented outbreak strip the capacity of affected countries in West Africa to respond,” said World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Margaret Chan.
Response To The Crisis
On August 8, WHO declared the Ebola outbreak an international health emergency that would likely continue for months. The organization urged the world to provide support so Ebola victims could be located and isolated – measures that need to be taken to stop the outbreak.
The World Bank has stepped up, pledging up to $200 million in emergency funding to pay for medical supplies and salaries for medical staff. Other organizations and countries, including Canada and United States, have sent disease specialists, supplies, trial vaccines and funds to West Africa – but experts say more help is needed, quickly.
“The farther this spreads, the more time, energy and human lives are going to be lost. Don’t wait for this to get any worse,” cautioned Dr. Olds.
About West Africa
Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea – the three countries most affected by this Ebola outbreak so far – are neighbours on the western coast of Africa. Guinea is a former French colony.
All three nations are extremely poor. In Sierra Leone nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. The countries have minerals and other natural resources, but often have not been able to benefit from them due to poor infrastructure, widespread corruption and political instability. Sierra Leone and Liberia are still recovering from a civil war that ended in 2002. All three nations are relying on international assistance to rebuild and develop their economies.
What’s Your Risk?
Could Ebola spread to Canada? Not likely, say experts. All points of entry into Canada are being monitored, and any travelers showing symptoms are identified. And because the virus is not highly contagious, even other passengers arriving on the same flight are at low risk of being infected.
As well, Canada has ways to effectively isolate and treat patients who do show signs of a deadly virus. Our country had a chance to practice and refine its response to contagious viruses during the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic that led to the deaths of 44 people in Canada and 750 worldwide.
“SARS was the perfect wake-up call and Ebola is following that… our health care system improved dramatically after SARS,” says Dr. Jay Keystone, a doctor working in the tropical diseases unit at Toronto General Hospital.
colony: a country controlled by another country
corruption: dishonest or illegal behavior by officials, such as accepting money in exchange for doing things for someone
epidemic: a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease
hoax: a trick in which someone deliberately tells people that something bad is going to happen or that something is true when it is not
infrastructure: the systems within a country that affect how well it operates, such as telephone and transportation systems
subsistence agriculture: farming that produces food for the farmer but little left over to sell
unprecedented: never having happened or existed before
World Bank: a bank established in 1944 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. that provides loans, advice and assistance to developing countries around the world
World Health Organization: United Nations agency created in 1948 to provide leadership on global health matters, including monitoring and assessing health trends and providing technical support to countries
On The Lines
Answer the following in complete sentences:
1. Describe the symptoms of people infected with the Ebola virus.
2. How did Ebola originate and how does it spread from animals to humans?
3. How does Ebola spread from person to person?
4. Explain how doctors treat Ebola patients.
5. Where and when was the Ebola virus first discovered?
6. List the three African countries most affected by the recent Ebola outbreak.
7. List at least three reasons why Ebola has spread so quickly.
8. How have other countries responded to this crisis?
Between The Lines
An inference is a conclusion drawn from evidence. A plausible inference is supported by evidence in the article and is consistent with known facts outside of the article.
What inference(s) can you draw from the fact that although the mortality rate for Ebola can be as high as 90 percent, in the current outbreak about 60 percent of those infected are dying?
Beyond The Lines
A key to containing the Ebola outbreak is education and awareness about how the disease is spread. Using the information in the article ‘Battling a Deadly Virus’ and any additional information you’re able to find online, design a poster to inform people about Ebola – what it is, how it is spread, and what people need to do to avoid contracting this illness.
A good poster is visually appealing and communicates the necessary information clearly and accurately.
Just Talk About It
1. An American company has sent a handful of doses of ZMapp, an experimental drug, to Africa to be administered to a few Ebola patients. It is unknown if this drug is effective in battling Ebola, and if it has any harmful side effects on people. If you were in charge of administering this drug, what criteria would you use to decide who to give it to? If you were an Ebola patient, would you accept or refuse treatment with this drug? Give reasons to support your response.
2. In mid-August, some airlines and governments began imposing restrictions on African travellers, ignoring the advice of medical experts. Korean Air Lines, for instance, suspended all of its flights to Kenya, a country that doesn’t have a single Ebola case and is located 5,000 kilometres from the danger zone.
a) What reasons can you suggest to explain these actions?
b) What impacts might these actions have on non-African countries and travellers? On African countries and travellers? Give reasons to explain your response.
c) Overall, are you more in favour of or more opposed to these restrictions? Explain.
On-Line
Visit our student website at www.news4youth.com and click on the What in the World? tab to:
1. View the WHO fact sheet for Ebola (or visit http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/).
2. Find out more about Ebola on the BBC website (or visit http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26835233).
3. Learn about Doctors Without Borders, the non-governmental organization working in West Africa on the frontlines of the Ebola outbreak (or visit http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/).
Quiz
Battling A Deadly Virus
Write the letter that corresponds to the best answer on the line beside each question:
______1. Which African country is not affected by the recent Ebola outbreak?
a) Liberia b) Sierra Leone
c) Egypt d) Guinea
e) none of the above
______2. Scientists believe the most likely hosts of the Ebola virus are:
a) monkeys b) fruit bats
c) rats d) snakes
e) eagles
______3. What are the initial symptoms of Ebola in humans?
a) external and internal bleeding, extreme fatigue
b) fever, headache, muscle aches, and sore throat
c) loss of balance and muscle control, hallucinations
d) back and chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness
e) rash and swelling in the chest area, nausea and vomiting
______4. True or False? Ebola is easily spread from person to person.
______5. True or False? Vaccines against Ebola have proven to be very effective.
6. All countries should be very concerned about the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons to support your response.