Ebola historical perspective: Difference between revisions
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==Notable Cases== | ==Notable Cases== |
Revision as of 16:53, 15 October 2014
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Michael Maddaleni, B.S., Guillermo Rodriguez Nava, M.D. [2]
Overview
The Ebola virus was named after the Ebola River Valley in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaïre), near the site of a 1976 outbreak at a mission run by Flemish nuns.[1] Since the initial discovery of the virus, five subtypes have subsequently been identified.
Historical Perspective
Discovery
- The Ebola virus was first recognized in 1976 as a result of outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Zaire and Sudan.
- The fist description of ebola virus disease was made by Doctor Ngoy Mushola, in his daily log:
“ | The illness is characterized with a high temperature of about 39°C, hematemesis [the vomiting of blood], diarrhea with blood, retrosternal abdominal pain, prostration with "heavy" articulations, and rapid evolution death after a mean of three days... | ” |
- The virus was named after the Ebola river located in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
- The first outbreaks occurred almost simultaneously in Sudan between June and November 1976, due the so-called Sudan ebolavirus, and in Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) between August and November 1976 due the so-called Ebola Zaire.
- The table below summarizes the ebola virus strains identified until now:
Ebola Virus Strain | Place of Discovery | Date Identified |
---|---|---|
Sudan ebolavirus | Nzara and Maridi, Sudan | Between June and November 1976 |
Zaire ebolavirus | Yambuku, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Between August and November 1976 |
Reston ebolavirus | Reston, Virginia, US. | November 1989 |
Ivory Coast ebolavirus | Tai Forest, Ivory Coast. | November 1994 |
Bundibugyo ebolavirus | Bundibugyo District, Uganda | November 2007 |
Notable Cases
- Nurse Mayinga N'Seka was the index case in an Ebola epidemic in Democratic Republic of the Congo and may represent the only case of airborne ebola virus infection.
- The non-fatal case of a Swiss 34-year-old female ethologist, in the Taï National Park, Ivory Coast, was due to an infection by what was later recognized as a new strain of ebola virus after she performed a necropsy on a chimpanzee found dead with signs of hemorrhage.[2]
Bioterrorism
A potential risk associated with Ebola is the ability to have it weaponized. Ebola does not have a vaccine associated with it, therefore it would be a good candidate for a major biological attack.
Because Ebola is lethal and since no approved vaccine or treatment is available, Ebola is classified as a Biosafety Level 4 agent, as well as a Category A bioterrorism agent[3] and a select agent by the CDC.
Ebola shows potential as a biological weapon because of its lethality but due to its relatively short incubation period it may be more difficult to spread since it may kill its victim before it has a chance to be transmitted, meaning that it would be hard to spread amongst small populations. However, if an outbreak occurred in a city the effects would likely be devastating.
As a terrorist weapon, Ebola has been considered by members of Japan's Aum Shinrikyo cult, whose leader, Shoko Asahara led about 40 members to Zaire in 1992 under the guise of offering medical aid to Ebola victims in what was presumably an attempt to acquire a sample of the virus.[4]
References
- ↑ Bardi, Jason Socrates (2002). "Death Called a River". Scribbs Research Institute. 2 (1). Retrieved 2006-12-08.
- ↑ Formenty P, Hatz C, Le Guenno B, Stoll A, Rogenmoser P, Widmer A (1999). "Human infection due to Ebola virus, subtype Côte d'Ivoire: clinical and biologic presentation". J Infect Dis. 179 Suppl 1: S48–53. doi:10.1086/514285. PMID 9988164.
- ↑ Hoenen, Thomas (2006). "Ebola virus: unravelling pathogenesis to combat a deadly disease". Trends in Molecular Medicine. 12 (5): 206–215. doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2006.03.006. Unknown parameter
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