Ebola Outbreak

The Ebola virus is an infectious and fatal disease that is widely spread through various countries, scattering terror throughout. When traveling is areas with a high prevalence rate of infection one must equip themselves with a knowledge that will help them stay clear of infection. To create a thorough understanding of the disease it is important to look back in the history book to see where, how and when the infection came about, recognise the pathophysiological side of the condition and it’s modes of transmission. By making sense of the severity of the disease, an individual is able to adopt safety precautions and preventative strategies such as incubation periods, treatment method including vaccinations. The World Health Organisation (WHO) have identified a three phase crisis plan that will assist in the dismantlement of the Ebola virus.
One outbreak was in Sudan and the other in Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1976. E.Sudan heavily affected ‘the towns of Nzara and Maridi’ (Pourrut, X et al. 2005 p.1006). Over the period of 4 months, 150 people died out of the 284 people infected bringing the mortality rate to 53%. The E.Zaire outbreak was much more severe. It hugely effect individuals in Yambuku as well as villages that lived off the river, Ebola. E.Zaire claimed 284 people lives out of the 318 infected from August to November, 1976. This high mortality rate of 89% aroused fear in the people of infected areas. Between 1994 - 1997, Ebola re-emerged with ‘a new subtype, E. Ivory Coast…’ (Pourrut, X et al. 2005 p.1006). Over three years, 455 cases of E. Ivory Coast were presented and amongst them 351 deaths (mortality rate 77%). Today there are 5 different strains of Ebola including; E.Zaire, E.Sudan, E. Taï Forest (previously known are E.Ivory Coast), Bundibugyo virus and E.Reston. (Pourrut, X et al. 2005