EBOLA: CRISIS AND PLAGUE
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Ebola: Crisis and Plague
Tatiana Hernandez
West Texas A&M University
EBOLA: CRISIS AND PLAGUE
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Abstract
This paper focuses on the events surrounding the Ebola outbreak that first began to
emerge in 2014 in West Africa. Through several credible resources, this paper will
explore the efforts to try and combat against the spread of the deadly virus as well
looking at where the efforts of organizations such as the Central for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) went wrong and where they went right. With this information and
knowledge, we can prevent and help better contain another outbreak such as the 2014
outbreak of Ebola should another disease or virus arise.
Keywords: Ebola outbreak 2014, deadly virus
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Ebola: Crisis and Plague
In 1976, the Ebola virus was first discovered in Central Africa in the town of
Nzaara after individuals from a cotton factory contracted the virus and spread it to their
close relatives (Feldman et al. 2003). From there, the virus quickly spread among the
villagers and neighboring areas as well as the closest hospital in Maridi where nursing
students were among those also affected. The virus would run it’s course until November
and leave in its wake 284 infected individuals and 151 deaths. The author states that
“The presumed index case came to the Yambuku Mission hospital for treatment of acute
malaria” but it was never determined whether or not that patient was infected prior to
admission or contracted the disease while being treated at the hospital so it is unclear
whether the patient was in fact patient zero (Feldman et al. 2003). Ebola wasn’t only
found to have emerged in Central Africa as several years later in 1989, Cynomolgus
monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were found to be hosts for the deadly virus. These
animals were imported from the Philippines and then into the care of a primate facility in
Reston, Virginia where several caretakers for the primates came into contact day in and
day out. Unbeknownst to the caretakers, the virus was being spread through droplet
contact from cage to cage, furthering the transmission from host to humans.
A person who has been infected by the Ebola virus more than likely contracted it
from the virus entering through a tear of the skin or through mucosal surfaces on the body
and can be further spread through hand-to-hand contact or coming into contact with
bodily fluids of an infected person. In Moole et al’s (2015) article, they list symptoms of
a person who may have contracted the virus which include “fever, chills, myalgia, and
malaise. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or
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abdominal pain…chest pain, dyspnea, headache, confusion, conjunctival injection, and
bleeding.” The authors go on to further explain that due to the virus mimicking septic
shock, it can sometimes be hard to diagnose a patient with the virus. According to the
CDC website (2015), they list preventative precautions for a hospital setting such as
patient placement of putting those infected in separate rooms, wearing personal protective
equipment (PPE), hand hygiene and numerous other precautions but these can also be
applied to those who aren’t in a hospital such as civilians in civilian life. To ensure that
precautions are taking place, individuals can be taught these standards of health so as to
contain and prevent the spread further. The World Health Organization (2018) posted an
updated article that states that the incubation of the Ebola virus is anywhere from two to
21 days and goes on to further explain that during this time, the host becomes infectious
