Question

The unprecedented Ebola outbreak probably has more virologists thinking about Ebola than ever before. And while scientists have learned a lot about this virus since it was discovered almost four decades ago, there's still a lot left to wonder about.

Pick an aspect of Ebola and share your research with other students. You may want to research and discuss:

1. What is the reservoir for the Ebola virus? Can it spread to household pets?

2. What cells does it attack in our bodies?

3. Exactly how does it gain access to our bodies? How does it get through intact skin?

4. How long does the virus remain infectious after it is outside the body on an inanimate surface?

5. Update the class on one of the experimental drugs or vaccines.

6. Describe the methodology used in the latest laboratory test. If an individual tests negative after returning from West Africa after coming in contact with Ebola patients, can they still be infectious to others?

7. Describe the epidemiology of the Ebola virus. Which countries caseload are declining and which countries are increasing?

8. Describe the current case-fatality rates for this current outbreak.

Using approximately 300 to 500 words, please comment on your findings and include at least two quality references.

Answer 1

1. The actual reservoir for Ebola virus yet to be known. But most of the researches believing that fruit bats are the reservoir for Ebola virus which spread virus through wild animals like monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas to humans.

2. Ebola virus targets monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells and other cells like liver cells, fibroblasts and adrenal gland cells.

3. Fruit bats are spreading viruses through wild animals to humans by its infected excretions. Human to human spread is accompanied with direct contact with blood and numerous body fluids (mucus, saliva, breast milk, sweat, tear, urine, feces, semen, vomit) of infected person. It will not transfer through intact skin.

4. Outside the body the virus survival rate varies from 3 days to 14 days. Example outside the body in dried blood 5 days, liquid blood 14 days, over the plastic 8 days and in stainless steel 4 days and 11 days on Tyvek.

5. Flavipiravir is a broad spectrum antiviral agent with this phase 2 clinical trial started in Guinea on December 2014. Most of the researches concluded that it has some benefits on treating the moderate to high viremia not on very high viremia.

6. Antigen detection and molecular tests have proven very effective for accurate diagnosis of Ebola virus disease. Eg. Automated nucleic acid application test ( Rapid test for antigen detection). If the person shows negative result with no symptoms we have to wait for 2-21 days as it is an incubation period for Ebola virus. We can wait only up to 48 to 72 hours if the person remain sick to confirm the result.