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Running head: EBOLA, ANTHRAX, AND SMALLPOX 1
Ebola, Anthrax, and Smallpox
Lindsay Ashley, Sunny Crawford, Kelsey Ellenburg,
Annsley Greeson, Kaylee Johnson, Carter Logan
Dalton State College, Nursing 2012
Gail Dove Ward, EdD, RN, MN
March 30, 2017
EBOLA, ANTHRAX, AND SMALLPOX 2
Ebola, Anthrax, and Smallpox
Ebola, anthrax, and smallpox are devastating diseases that possess the potential to be
used as a means of bioterrorism. Throughout history, these destructive illnesses have claimed the
lives of millions of helpless individuals. The current conflict among nations and the threat of
bioterrorism has elevated the priority of education among healthcare personnel. Knowledge
allows prevention measures, isolation protocols, and effective intervention to be promptly
initiated. Only through understanding of the disease processes can a mass epidemic be avoided
and optimum patient outcomes be achieved. This paper will provide a description including the
means of transmission, prevention, management, as well as the nursing responsibilities of Ebola,
anthrax, and smallpox. It will then go on to discuss how these illnesses are related to the threat of
bioterrorism.
Ebola
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a highly contagious, life-threatening disease caused by the
species Ebolavirus (“Ebola”, 2015). Five species of the ebolavirus exist including the Sudan
ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus, Baundibugyo ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, and Tai Forest
ebolavirus (Mangila et al., 2015). All species are a threat to humans excluding the Reston
ebolavirus (Mangila et al., 2015). Transmission of the virus from animal to human and from
human to human consists of direct contact between non-intact tissue and contaminated blood or
bodily fluids (“Ebola”, 2015). Animals that have been associated with Ebola virus include
primates and fruit bats (Ignatavicius, Workman., Blair, Rebar, & Winkelman, 2016). There is no
evidence Ebola is transmitted through air, water, food, or vector bites (“Ebola”, 2015).
The incubation period for Ebola is less than three weeks. Symptoms typically start eight
to ten days after exposure, and last a total of fourteen to twenty-one (Mangila et al., 2015).
EBOLA, ANTHRAX, AND SMALLPOX 3
Manifestations include pyrexia, chest pain, severe headache, myalgia, abdominal pain, diarrhea,
vomiting, and unexplained hemorrhage (Ignatavicius et al., 2016, p. 412). Progression of the
illness leads to multiple organ failure and eventual death (Mangila et al., 2015).
Suspected diagnosis of Ebola hemorrhagic fever is validated through detection of viral
antigens within bodily secretions (Endom, 2013). However, such tests are restricted to Biohazard
Safety Level four laboratories including the Center for Disease Control and the United States
Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (Endom, 2013). Currently, there are no
vaccinations to prevent contracting of the Ebola virus (Thèves et al., 2014). Likewise, there is no
definitive cure once the virus is transmitted. Disease management goals of healthcare providers
are primarily focused on prevention, early detection, and containment.
Prevention and management
As a result of the recent Ebola pandemic, health care providers are taking action to avert
possible reoccurrence. This includes education in disease prevention and management. Such
steps by all healthcare personnel are vital if an epidemic is to be avoided.
The primary means of prevention include avoiding contact with infected individuals and
secretions to prevent transmission of infection. This necessitates avoiding travel to countries
experiencing an Ebola outbreak, as well as, facilities where Ebola patients are being hospitalized
(“Ebola”, 2015). During such times, it is important for a person to practice careful hand hygiene
using soap and water or an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Individuals should avoid contact with
blood or bodily fluids such as, feces, urine, breast milk, saliva, sweat, semen, and vaginal fluid of
a client with a suspected diagnosis of Ebola (Adongo et al., 2016). Healthcare workers, family
members of Ebola patients, and morticians who have physical contact with the patient have a
greater risk of infection through direct mode of transmission. During times of contact, these
individuals should utilize current droplet precautions in addition to Tyvek suits and powered air
EBOLA, ANTHRAX, AND SMALLPOX 4
purifying respiratory hoods (Baird, 2016). Transmission of Ebola can also occur through indirect
means such as handling contaminated clothes, materials, bedding, needles, and medical
equipment (Adongo et al., 2016). Biohazard workers should separately bag and autoclave or
incinerate such items (Baird, 2016). In previous circumstance, high-risk practices including
washing and handling of the corpse were prohibited during an outbreak (Adongo et al., 2016).
Early identification of risk factors and symptoms is the key to containment. If Ebola is
suspected, strict droplet precautions set forth by the Center for Disease Control should be
instituted immediately. Health care personnel should isolate the patient, as well as anyone in
contact with the patient as soon as possible (“Ebola”, 2015). Prevention of further transmission is
a primary defense against this devastating, life-threatening disease.
Nursing Responsibilities
