Clark 1 Jaclyn Clark BIOL 1090-002 Dr.

William Green 04/29/2014

Why Ebola Is So Deadly

Ebola a! a ba" re#$%a%ion a! bein& one o' % e mo!% 'eare" #a% o&en!( an" ri& %ly !o. ) e *ir$! +a! only recen%ly "i!co*ere" in 19,- an" li%%le i! kno+n abo$% i%! ori&in! a! i% a! a %en"ency %o "i!a##ear an" &o year! be'ore re!$r'acin& an" ca$!in& ne+ o$%break!. ) e 'ir!% recor"e" o$%break! o' Ebola +ere "$rin& 19,- in .aire an" /$"an( b$% % e 'ir!% Ebola e#i"emic %o "ra+ #$blic a%%en%ion +a! in 1990 + en o$% o' 291 ca!e!( 211 "ea% ! occ$rre"2a ,93 'a%ali%y. Be%+een % a% %ime % ere +ere a an"'$l o' !maller o$%break!( b$% 'or % e mo!% #ar% be%+een 19,- an" 1990 % e *ir$! a" !eemin&ly "i!a##eare". W ile % ere are !e*eral "i''eren% !%rain! o' % e Ebola *ir$! +i% "i''eren% "ea% ra%e!( one o' % e i& e!% recor"e" 'a%ali%y ra%e! +a! % e 19,- .aire e#i"emic +i% 903 o' % e 114 ca!e! lea"in& %o "ea% 'rom % e .aire Ebola !%rain. /ince i%! "i!co*ery Ebola a! a" !cien%i!%! !%$m#e"5 a! one o' % e "ea"lie!% *ir$!e! kno+n %o man *ery li%%le #ro&re!! a! been ma"e in "e*elo#in& a c$re or *accine 'or Ebola. 6Benini( an" Bra"'or"-Benini 10( 117 W y i! % e Ebola *ir$! !o "ea"ly8 )o an!+er % i! 9$e!%ion +e a*e %o look a% !e*eral a!#ec%! o' EBO:; % e 'ac% % a% +e "o no% kno+ + ere i% come! 'rom( % a% % ere are !e*eral "i''eren% !%rain! 'rom "i''eren% area! an" % ere co$l" be more( % e +ay % a% i% a%%ack! % e $man bo"y an" o+ ea!ily i% i! !#rea"( an" % e "i''ic$l%y o' crea%in& a *accine. /ome% in& !cien%i!%! a*e been !%r$&&lin& +i% i! % a% +e !%ill "o no% kno+ Ebola<! ori&in. Ebola in'ec%ion! a*e been 'o$n" in non- $man #rima%e! in many ca!e!( b$% m$c like +i% $man!

Clark 2 % e *ir$! b$rn! 9$ickly % ro$& % e #o#$la%ion( an" % en 'i==le! o$%. ) i! make! i% i& ly im#robable 'or #rima%e! %o be % e re!er*oir o' % e *ir$!. >$c e''or% a! been ma"e %o i"en%i'y % e ori&in o' EBO:( b$% % e re!er*oir! 'or mo!% !%rain! a*e ye% %o be "i!co*ere". ) e na%$ral re!er*oir! o' % e!e 'ilo*ir$!e! a*e el$"e" !cien%i!%! 'or "eca"e!. >any re!earc er! a*e y#o% e!i=e" on *ario$! crea%$re! bein& i%<! carrier !$c a! ro"en%!( ba%!( or bir"!. 6Grim 427 /o 'ar only !ome e*i"ence a! been 'o$n" %o !$##or% ba%! a! % e re!er*oir 'or % e .aire Ebola 6.EBO:7 an" ?e!%on Ebola 6?EBO:7 !%rain!( "a%a % a% i! !%ill ne+ an" nee"! '$r% er %e!%in&. In a recen% !%$"y 'i*e o$% o' 2,- ba%! %e!%e" +ere 'o$n" %o a*e .EBO: an" ?EBO: an%ibo"ie! in % eir !y!%em( in"ica%in& a #o%en%ial 'or % e ba%! %o be a re!er*oir o' % e!e !%rain! o' % e Ebola *ir$!. 6Oli*al( e% al 2,07 In % e ca!e o' % e 1990 o$%break *irolo&i!%! %racke" % e #a% o' % e in"e@ ca!e an" %e!%e" 1(000 *er%ebra%e! an" 10(000 ar% ro#o"!( an" ye% % ey came a+ay +i% no in"ica%ion o' % e *ir$!<! ori&in. ) i! i! merely one e@am#le o' % e e''or% an" !%r$&&le re!earc er! a*e a" +i% %ryin& %o "i!co*er % e na%$ral re!er*oir! 'or % i! *ir$!. O$%break #re*en%ion i! ma"e *ery "i''ic$l% by % e 'ac% % a% +e !%ill "o no% really kno+ + ere % e Ebola *ir$! i"e!. 6Grim 427 Aar% o' % e #roblem i! % a% % ere are !e*eral "i''eren% !%rain! o' % e Ebola *ir$!. Ori&inally % e Ebola an" >arb$r& *ir$!e! +ere cla!!i'ie" $n"er % e Rhabdoviridae 'amily( b$% in % e early 1940<! a ne+ 'amily +a! crea%e" calle" Filoviridae ba!e" $#on % e!e aemorr a&ic "i!ea!e!< $ni9$e biolo&ical 'ea%$re!. ) e &en$! Ebolavirus a! 'o$r kno+n !#ecie!( Reston ebolavirus 6?EBO:7( Zaire ebolavirus 6.EBO:7( Ivory Coast ebolavirus 6ICEBO:7( and Sudan ebolavirus 6/EBO:7. Eac !#ecie! i!

"i!%inc% an" + ile !imilar( % eir % rea% le*el! "i''er !ome. Wi% % e "i''eren% !#ecie! % ere i! % e 9$e!%ion o' + en a *accine i! crea%e" o+ e''ec%i*e i% +ill be a&ain!% % e *ario$! %y#e!. Ebola a! a knack 'or !%ayin& i""en an" kee#in& i%! ori&in a my!%ery( an" % ere lie! % e !erio$! #o!!ibili%y o' o% er !#ecie! o' Ebola % a% a*e ye% %o be "i!co*ere" an" !%$"ie". Will +e 'in" one +i% a i& er mor%ali%y ra%e % an .EBO:( an" i' !o +ill #re*en%ion me% o"! +e a*e +orke" on % $! 'ar be e''ec%i*e8

Clark 1 6Bel"mann( e% al -,97 Cno% er a!#ec% o' EBO: % a% make! i% !o 'eare" i! % e +ay i% a%%ack! % e bo"y. In'ec%ion occ$r! by con%ac% +i% ma%erial 'rom an in'ec%e" animal( or by % e con%ac% o' an in'ec%e" #er!on<! bo"ily 'l$i" !$c a! bloo"( !ali*a or !emen. ) e *ir$! !#rea"! ea!ily %o 'amily + o %ake care o' % e in'ec%e" in"i*i"$al( an" % en in o!#i%al! %o care%aker! an" o% er #a%ien%! by re$!in& nee"le!. Once in'ec%e"( % e *ir$!( con%ainin& a !in&le !%ran"e" ?DC( &oe! %o +ork iEackin& cell! %o crea%e #ro%ein! an" more *iral ?DC2i%<! #roce!! o' re#ro"$c%ion %akin& abo$% ei& % o$r!. Ebola %ar&e%! % e imm$ne !y!%em(

a%%ackin& # a&ocy%e!( "i!r$#%in& % e !#leen an" lym# no"e!( an" i! belie*e" %o a*e a &ene + ic co"e! 'or a #ro%ein % a% !%o#! bo% o$r imm$ne-cell ac%i*a%ion an" o$r abili%y o' killin& o!% cell!. 6Grim 427 ?e!earc er! a*e al!o ob!er*e" by!%an"er a#o#%o!i! o' lym# ocy%e cell! an" an a!!ocia%e" "ecrea!e o' #la!ma an" ) cell!. Di!r$#%ion o' inna%e imm$ni%y an" % e imm$ne !y!%em<! abili%y %o con%rol *ir$! re#lica%ion a! been ob!er*e"( a! +ell a! c an&e! in % e e@#re!!ion o' cy%okine!.

6Bel"mann( e% al -,97 C'%er % e *ir$! a! !#rea" %o eno$& cell! i% ra#i"ly %ake! o*er( %ar&e%in& cell! % a% line % e bloo" *e!!el! an" !#rea"in& %o % e ki"ney!( lym# no"e!( l$n&!( an" li*er. C'%er one %o %+o +eek! % e in'ec%e" #er!on !%ar%! %o 'eel !ym#%om! o' na$!ea( 'e*er( an" "i==ine!!( an" a'%er a 'e+ more "ay! % e circ$la%ory !y!%em !%ar%! %o 'ail. In'ec%e" imm$ne cell! relea!e !%ron& !i&nal! in%o % e bloo"!%ream an" #rom#% *e!!el! %o "ila%e( + ic ca$!e! % e relea!e o' bloo" in%o !$rro$n"in& %i!!$e. ) e in'ec%e" *ic%im +ill %y#ically blee" 'rom % e !%omac ( in%e!%ine!( &$m!( an" l$n&!( o+e*er % e ca$!e o' "ea% i! no% e@!an&$ina%ion. )y#ically % e #a%ien% +ill "ie +i% in abo$% %+o +eek! 'rom % e ! ock an" or&an 'ail$re ca$!e" by % e break"o+n o' % e circ$la%ory !y!%em. Ebola *ir$! $!$ally kill! aro$n" 00-903 o' i%! *ic%im!( an" a! ye% % ere i! no *accina%ion or c$re. >$c re!earc an" +ork a! been "one an" !ome #reliminary animal %e!%! a*e ! o+n #o!i%i*e re!$l%! +i% *accine!( b$% +e a*e ye% %o crea%e a $man *accine. 6Grim 427

Clark 4 In concl$!ion I a*e ! o+n % a% Ebola *ir$! i! !$c a "ea"ly #a% o&en beca$!e o' i%<! $nkno+n ori&in!( i%<! m$l%i#le !#ecie!( % e ea!e o' in'ec%ion % ro$& con%ac%( an" % e +ay i% a%%ack! % e imm$ne !y!%em an" break! "o+n % e circ$la%ory !y!%em( re!$l%in& in a 'a!% "ea% an" a i& mor%ali%y ra%e.

Works Cited Benini( Cl"o C.( an" Jane% Bra"'or"-Benini. FEbola :ir$!; Brom >e"ical Emer&ency %o Com#le@ Di!a!%er8G Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management 4.1 6199-7; 10-19. Web. 29 C#ril. 2014. Grim( Aamela. F)oo Clo!e %o Ebola.G Discover. 24.- 620017; 42. Web. 29 C#ril. 2014. Oli*al( He*in J.( e% al. FEbola :ir$! Cn%ibo"ie! in Br$i% Ba%!( Ban&la"e! .G Emerging Infectious Diseases. 19.2 620117; 2,0-2,1. Web. 29 C#ril. 2014. Bel"mann( Iein=( e% al. FEbola :ir$!; Brom Di!co*ery %o :accine.G 620017; -,,--40. Web. 29 C#ril. 2014. ature Revie!s Immunology. 1.4