Kendall Dickson

English 111
Pettay
The Outbreak
The population of America takes too much for granted. Every day, Americans see world
catastrophes on the news and shoo it off because its not in America. Little do Americans know
that this soon to be monster in the Middle East will not only affect them, but may affect the
entire world. It is deadly; it is currently unstoppable; it is Ebola, formerly known as Ebola
haemorrhagic fever. This force is said to be the next black plague, and there is no running or
hiding from it.
In 1346, the most devastating pandemic struck the world. An estimated 75-250 million
deaths occurred throughout planet Earth. The main form of international spread was by fleas that
lived on rats that were often passengers on the shipment boats to new countries. It only takes 1
living organism to spread a disease to a new country or even a new continent. This is what
America should fear. An Ebola carrier may live for up to 21 days, meaning it is transmissible for
up to 21 days before the death or even 7 weeks if the carrier lives.
It is said, in worst case scenarios, that if Ebola reaches a country that is highly dense, the
virus could become airborne. This would mean that it became more immune, and stronger. If it
went airborne, it could wipe out a whole nation, or worse, a whole hemisphere. Ebola must be
contained. If not, an estimated 1.4 million could be infected by January.
The World of knowledge is still very young. If there is not a cure by now, this virus must
be a tricky one. The first case ever recorded was in 1976. It has been almost 40 years; shouldnt
there be some type of cure? Its scary to think that some of the smartest people on earth arent

able to figure this one out. If the disease spreads more than they predict, America will be highly
endangered.