Running Head: COMMUNITY HEALTH AND POPULATION-FOCUSED NURSING 1

Ebola

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Ebola Virus

Outbreak Description

Ebola is a noxious virus causes severe symptoms such as internal bleeding and high

fever. It has a high mortality rate of 90 percent of the people who contract it. It causes

hemorrhagic fever. The epidemic has occurred mainly in African soil mostly affecting West

Africa. The Ebola Virus outbreak was first reported in 1976. In August to November 2014, the

outbreak was recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo. In December 2013 to January 2016

outbreaks were reported in DRC, Uganda, Sudan, and Gabon. Latest outbreaks of 2016 affected

Nigeria, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast. The outbreaks resulted in 28,658

informed cases with 11,327 deaths (Mack, Snair, and Shah, 2016). Since then, Ebola virus

outbreaks have been recorded in DRC (May to July 2018) and Uganda (August 2018).

Epidemiological Determinants and Risk Factors

Ebola virus is a single-stranded RNA virus that resembles paramyxovirses and

rhabdoviruses in its replication mechanism and genome organization. Agents of Ebola Virus

include major viral families including arenaviruses, bunyaviruses, filoviruses, and flaviviruses.

Ebolavirus is classified under the family of Filividae. The genus Ebolavirus comprises five

species Sudan, Tai Forest, Bundibugyo, Zaire, and Reston.

Ebola viruses in the past were categorized as hemorrhagic fever viruses with regards to

its clinical manifestation. Initial symptoms include; stomach pain, high fever, diarrhea, and

muscle pain. Other symptoms include itchy eyes, regular hiccups, and sore throat. Progressive

symptoms include rash, vomiting, and bleeding complications including epistaxis and

hemoptysis (Crawford, 2016). However, today it’s the Ebola viruses are not termed as
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hemorrhagic fever because few infected people develop the hemorrhage. Significant hemorrhage

is significant in the terminal phase of the disease.

Ebola virus 2014 outbreak recorded the highest number of cases. The 2014 and 2016

outbreak recorded close to 29,000 suspected cases, and almost 11,000 deaths. In 2016 the

average cases per day in Western and Central Africa averaged at 43 percent cases per day.

Several demographic and environmental spatial predictors of Ebolavirus risk is at Guinea,

Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The strongest predictor of Ebolavirus is the lack proper health

message disseminations enhancing a high risk of transmission. Poor communication reduced the

effectiveness to disseminate risk prevention, communication, and social mobilization that

increased the Ebolavirus transmission risk. Increase of rainfall is also another risk factor.

Increased humidity increases the risk of Ebolavirus transmission since road networks are

destroyed making it difficult for patients to seek medical help. Higher road density decreases the

risk of outbreaks through accessibility of treatment centers. Population density has no association

with Ebolavirus risk with an exception of the second tercile who have a weak protective effect.

Healthcare setting with low standards of hygiene and sanitation causes a high risk of Ebolavirus

transmission to medical workers.

In the beginning Ebola virus is transmitted indirectly by contact with body fluids, feces,

or blood from the host (infected individual) or directly contacting with the virus, for example, in

a laboratory. Diarrhea and bloody feces are the highest risk factors for fatal outcome. The two

factors are attributed to 70 percent fatal rates. However, bloody feces have a high fatal rate of 90

percent. Bleeding manifestations also pose a fatal rate of 67 percent. Bloody diarrhea is

attributed to severe enterocolitis. Rhabdomyolysis is also a contributing factor to the death in

Ebola virus outbreak. Abdominal pain is not attributed to severe cases. According to Crawford
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(2016), the incubation period of the virus is 3 to 21 days. Zaire species caused the outbreak of

Central and Western Africa with a fatality rate of 60-90 percent. In 2014, the initial outbreak

fatality Zaire rate was estimated at 72 percent during the first four months. The Zaire species

fatality rate in 2016 grew to 90 percent in Zaire and even higher for the Sudan Species.

Route of Transmission

Ebola virus emanated from animal hosts. Humans contracted the virus through handling

infected animals (reservoir). Human to human contact lead to an outbreak. It is transmitted

directly or indirectly. Ebola virus is transmitted indirectly by contact with body skin, mucosal

membrane, body fluids, feces, or blood from the host (infected individual) or directly contacting

with the virus, for example, in a laboratory (Mack, Snair, and Shah, 2016). 

Community Impact

Ebola Virus causes loss of human life. It is also attributed to negative economic effect of

to the vulnerable areas. An outbreak of the virus disrupts all the sectors of the economy.

Unmanaged outbreaks cause long lasting economic effects such as reduced trade and

transportation, significantly reduced tourism, decreased mining activities, decreased agricultural

activities, increased unemployment rates, and even high fiscal impact. For instance, the 2014

outbreak costed Libera, Sierra Leone, and Guinea over 2.2 billion USA dollars in GDP. The

societal costs of the epidemic amounted to 53 billion USA dollars. It is evident that the effects of

the Ebola Virus are adverse (Crawford, 2016). 

Ebola epidemic for instance in my community would cause social disruptions. Normal

operation of schools, government, businesses, and hospitals will be altered with. The community

member will be robbed the pilferage of social participation in regular events. Public health
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programs will be dismantled (Crawford, 2016). An outbreak will lead to fall in employment and

livelihoods. For instance, some of the medical practitioners may contract the infection thus the

community may lose their services ultimately developing a crisis to control the epidemic. The

latter leads to increased spread of the virus. In addition, facilities as schools, social facilities,

some boarders will be closed and many people will be quarantined. Travelling and trading will

be limited to avoid further transmission of the virus. Besides, an outbreak may lead to a major

threat of food security as the agriculture sector will be largely negatively affected. The

government on the other hand will have to spend more resources to control the outbreak.

Generally, an outbreak will cause negative social and economic implications.

Reporting Protocol

The legal reporting requirements follow the following protocol. The medical care

specialist report to the local health jurisdiction. Laboratories request for specimen for

examination. Local health jurisdiction report to national department.

The roles and responsibilities of local health jurisdiction include; recommending

infection control. Conduct a rapid assessment and report all cases (potential and exposed

persons). They are also obligated to facilitate specimen for further examination. They are

indebted to determined the main source of the infection. Identify exposed people and control

further spreading of the infection. Lastly, they are obligated to complete a report for the infection

(Crawford, 2016). 

Recommendation (2 Strategies)

The following precautions can be used to prevent the spreading of Ebola Virus in

susceptible areas.
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It is necessary to observe meticulous hygiene. Ebola Virus emanated from animal hosts.

It is therefore apparent for people from the Virus susceptible areas to keep their environments

clean and sanitized. This will avoid further outbreak of the epidemic. Besides, people from the

virus prone areas should avoid consuming raw food materials or undercooked animal products.

It is also important to avoid body and body fluids contact. Ebola virus spreads majorly

through body fluids and body contact. To avoid contacting with infected people will reduce the

possibility to contract the disease. People should be advised to cover their bodies as much as

possible. It is also important to avoid to contact wild animals and birds such as bats. It is

recommended that only specialists with highly protective gears should administer necessary

medical assistance to the infected victims. Besides, the governments of affected areas should

raise awareness on the symptoms, so that people can seek medical assistance once they suspect

any. The latter will reduce the ugly picture of the virus outbreaks.
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References

Crawford, D. H. (2016). Ebola: profile of a killer virus. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford

University Press.

Mack, A., Snair, M. R., & Shah, C. M. (2016). The ebola epidemic in West Africa: proceedings

of a workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.