Question

Discuss how the Ebola virus evaded the first line of defense?

Answer 1

Ebola virus disease is one of the most devastating disease that has ever existed with the previous outbreak resulting in a huge number of deaths. Its devastating impact on the human body stems from its ability to rapidly disarm the immune system of the infected person.
The immune system is the human body’s first line of defence. Ebola virus blocks the development of a virus-specific adaptive immune response. White blood cells are a crucial part of the immune system. When the white blood T cell count is lower than normal, it results in lymphopenia which is a strong indicator of the severity of the Ebola infection.
Thus, the Ebola virus disables T cells, thus severely compromising the ability of the infected person to deal with the virus. Moreover, the virus also disables a cellular protein called tetherin which is responsible for inhibiting the spread of the virus from one cell to another. Tetherin, if working properly stops the infected cell from releasing the newly made virus, thus effectively stopping the infection from spreading throughout the body.