Rachael Dumais

1/4/15
Human Anatomy and Physiology Period E
Ms. MacIver
Ebola: A Hot Threat
Ebola is a virus that has received exuberant media attention in recent times due to a
massive West African outbreak. The Hot Zone by Richard Preston highlights the virus journey
through Africa and into mainstream attention. Throughout the novel, Preston uses true Ebola
facts to amplify his plot and convey vital information about the hot virus. This novel is a
wonderful tool in expressing the facts of Ebola in a narrative manner, engaging the reader.
However, since The Hot Zone was written in 1994, more information has been discovered. The
reality of the Ebola hot virus is very different from the disastrous killer portrayed in the news in
2014. The hype surrounding the Ebola virus has led to many misconceptions regarding the actual
facts of the hot agent.
As a relatively new and contagious virus, Ebola has not been extensively studied,
allowing new information on the virus to be discovered quickly. Since being discovered in 1976
in the case of Charles Monet, whom was suspected of contracting the virus from Kitum Cave in
Kenya, the knowledge on Ebola has grown substantially. In this case, medical professionals were
clueless on what the virus nature was, causing him to fly to Nairobi via airplane, possibly
infecting an entire plane of people. Eventually, Monet died in the hospital waiting room, simply
because there was no knowledge of the Ebola viruses. This 1976 case presented the first time
Ebola infected a human; cases continued to occur throughout Africa for years to come. The first
section of The Hot Zone chronicles the progression of Ebolas strains throughout humanity in the
late 20th century. Nurse Mayinga presents another, harsher strain of the filovirus. In present
times, medical researchers have discovered five strains of the Ebola virus. Four of the strains,

Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Ta Forest ebolavirus, and Bundibugyo ebolavirus are
known to infect humans, while the fifth strain, Reston ebolavirus has only ever infected primates
other than humans (About Ebola Virus). Since the initial outbreak in 1976 of 318 cases, there
have been a series of Ebola outbreaks throughout the continent of Africa. In 1995, there was an
outbreak in the Republic of Congo, then over the course of twenty years, minor outbreaks
occurred in Uganda, South Africa, and Gabon, totaling one thousand, seven-hundred and sixteen
people. The most severe and threatening outbreak of Ebola occurred in 2014, in West Africa,
with a case total of seven thousand, four-hundred and seventy people infected and a death rate of
three thousand, four-hundred and thirty-one. The severity of this outbreak of the Zaire ebolavirus
has prompted international speculation on the prospects of a pandemic in the near future ( T. J.
Watts, Ebola). As a highly contagious disease, Ebola requires precise medical attention. Medical
professionals are required to wear hazardous material suits, with protective gloves. By stopping
the contagious bodily fluids from an Ebola patient from coming into contact with health care
workers, the transmission of Ebola can be mitigated. As information on Ebola continues to grow,
medical professionals will continue to adapt treatment so as to effectively help as many patients
as possible.
Ebola is a difficult disease to diagnose in its early stages, as it possesses many ambiguous
symptoms. After a person is exposed to Ebola, it may take anywhere from two to twenty-one
days for the symptoms to present themselves. Symptoms begin with muscle aches, headache, and
fever, which are not effective clues as to the true nature of the disease. This makes it difficult to
diagnose Ebola early on, increasing the diseases contagiosity. As the disease progresses, it
becomes clear that it is some form of hemorrhagic fever. Symptoms expand to include red eyes,
vomiting, diarrhea, and eventually internal or external bleeding and organ failure (Ebola,

Medline Plus). One symptom that Preston frequently uses in The Hot Zone is the black coffee
ground vomit, which covers medical professionals in the earliest cases of Ebola. The fast
progression of the disease through the body, about twelve to fourteen days after symptoms occur,
makes it especially deadly. In fact, the mortality rate from Ebola is fifty to ninety percent,
depending on the strain and the care received. Those who survive Ebola retain immunity to it for
ten years. If a person is suspected of contracting Ebola, it is essential that they are quarantined
for twenty-one days to watch for symptoms. Those who do develop Ebola must be cared for in a
hospital, to reduce contagiosity as well as increase the patients chances of survival. The
treatment of Ebola occurs on a symptomatic basis, as there is no cure for it. Medical
professionals attempt to maintain homeostasis in the patients body and increase the immune
systems capabilities to fight of the virus. Blood transfusions and intravenous fluids are often
used to help the patient (Ebola Virus Disease, Medline Plus). As of 2014, there was no cure or
vaccine for Ebola, but two vaccines are being tested to reduce the infection rate of Ebola (Ebola
Virus Disease). The course of the filovirus is destructive and painful, and oftentimes results in
death.
The unknown variables of Ebola create the need for careful monitoring and a medical
response plan to be constructed, in case of a pandemic. On March 23, 2014, the World Health
Organization (WHO) was informed of the Ebola outbreak in Guinea. By August, the WHO
reported that the epidemic was a public health emergency of international concern (WHO
Ebola Response Team). Since this outbreak is occurring in a third world country with limited
access to progressive medical technology, international support is necessary to control the
outbreak. Health care workers are crucial in maintaining sterility and reducing the spread of
Ebola throughout Africa. However, by working on limited resources, it is difficult to contain the

virus. Another problem in third world countries is simply the lack of medical attention, as many
people do not have the funds or the idea to seek out medical help. In an epidemic situation,
precautions are absolutely necessary to preventing the spread of Ebola, including hygiene and
proper safety equipment. The WHO has developed a response plan to this Ebola outbreak as well
as future outbreaks. The implementation of surveillance, laboratory services, and disease training
allow for countries to receive experienced help, with the end goal of mitigating the diseases
impact on the community (WHO, Ebola Virus Disease). The WHO has also released a detailed
guide to the prevention and control of Ebola. This allows for a standard system of disease control
to emerge, keeping health care workers safe while administering treatment to the patients. In The
Hot Zone it was clear that when the disease first emerged, there was little to no precautions taken
to reduce the contagiosity of Ebola, affecting its infection rate. However, in the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Nancy Jaax was required to undergo Biosafety Level Four
precautions to keep herself safe while working with the virus in primates. With vigilant and
stringent medical practices, the spread of Ebola can be diminished.
The contagosity of Ebola prompts extensive hysteria in modern day media, skewing the
general populations conceptions about the virus. The WHOs declaration of Ebola as an
international concern elevated the publics paranoia of the mysterious Ebola virus. In September
of 2014, the United States encountered its first case of Ebola. This man had travelled to West
Africa and contracted the hot agent upon his return to Texas. On October 8, this patient died. The
second known case of American Ebola was a healthcare worker who cared for the first patient,
yet recovered soon after. Another healthcare worker contracted Ebola, yet flew on two flights
before noticing their condition. The patient recovered and the people on the flights were
quarantined without infection. The fourth U.S. case of Ebola occurred in a New York medical

worker who had cared for Ebola patients in Guinea. A member of Doctors Without Borders, the
medical worker was released on November 11, 2014 (Cases of Ebola Diagnosed in the United
States). The medias focus on the downsides of Ebola only fanned the publics fears, creating
mass panic. In the United States, there was speculation that the virus would cause a pandemic.
Some people were so paranoid that they believed Ebola could be spread through the air or by
simply coming in the vicinity of an Ebola patient. This misconception of facts leads back to the
medias over-exposure of Ebola. From August to November of 2014, Ebola dominated the news
and every Americans mind. If the media proved accurate facts on the reality of Ebola, then the
public would be well-informed and calm if Ebola was ever a serious threat in the United States.
While Ebola is still a global threat, medical researchers are continuously collecting
information on the virus to better protect the international population. The discovery of Ebola
and other filoviruses in 1976 have allowed Ebola to be studied and receive international
attention. The knowledge of Ebola strains and symptomatic treatment give modern Ebola
patients the best chance of fighting off the virus. In 2014, the worst Ebola epidemic occurred, but
its projected rates have been much higher than the actual infection rates. The tireless work of
medical professionals have helped to contain the outbreak. The medias exceedingly negative
outlook on Ebola has only served to create chaos and hysteria in the United States. Ebola has left
a lasting mark on the world, showing the future of medical technology and research. The Hot
Zones portrayal of the Ebola virus is accurate and factual, but the hype around the virus was
exaggerated, just like in the media today. Without knowledgeable information on Ebola, the
world population will be disillusioned, putting them at risk for contracting the virus.

References
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Baize, S., Ph.D, Pannetier, D., Ph.D., Pharm.D., Oestereich, L., M.Sc., Rieger, T.,
Ph.D., Koivogui, L., Ph.D., Magassouba, N., Ph.D., & Soropogui, B., M.Sc. (2014,
October 9). Emergence of Zaire Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea NEJM. Retrieved
October 30, 2014, from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1404505

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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ebola.html
Ebola Virus Disease. (2014, September). Retrieved October 30, 2014, from
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