Ebola Virus by Camelia T-Rizi
1. Virus Name.
Genus: Ebolavirus
Family: Filoviridae
*Note* No species name was found
2. Disease or disorder caused by virus.
-Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever
3. Description of virus structure.
-Characteristic thread-like structure of a filovirus.
-Coiled,circular, branched shape.
ex) Hand drawn picture of what Ebola typically looks like:
4. How is the virus transmitted?
- Among humans, virus is transmitted through bodily secretions.
- e.g. through contaminated blood, mucus, organs, semen, feces, ect.
5. How can transmission be prevented?
-can be prevented through basic hygene.
-In many African countries where the virus has proven most deadly, virus is not contained properly
and many hospitals are not equiped to handle outbreaks of Ebola.
-Many hospitals cannot afford the basics of sanitation and have to survive the best they can.
6. Describe the type of body cells attacked.
-Still not determined how virus enters cell.
-When virus inside host's cytoplasm, virus uncoats itself and attacks DNA.
-Virus' RNA strand used as new template for genome.
-When new genome formed, new virus will self assemble and bud from cell membrane,
taking some membrane for its envelope.
-common for victims to have low white blood cell count and low platelet count.
7. What are the symptoms of infection?
-First symptoms include: high fever (38 degrees celsius or higher), severe headache, muscle, joint & abdominal pain,
weakness and exhaustion, sore throat, nausea, dizziness.
-Progresses to: diarrhea, dark or bloody feces, vomitting blood, red eyes due to hemorrhage, and rash.
-Secondary symptoms: hypotension, organ damage, internal bleeding caused by a chemical reaction between virus and
platelets which creates a chemical that will cut cell sized holes into capillary walls, nose bleeds, infects platelets and stops clotting.
8. How does the body defend itself?
-Virus is so affective that it is virtually imposible for the body to defend itself without human intervention.
-White blood cell count drops below normal so the body does not have anyway of fighting back.
9. Are there any vaccines/treatments?
-There only is a vaccination for apes right now.
-No cures for ebola virus in humans yet.
-Problem is, the virus inflicts too much damage in a short period of time and the body cannot repair itself with or without a vaccine.
-doctors can inject certain platelets to help with coagulatio, but even if a victim survives, the damage would already have been done and the
victim would not be able to return back to normal.
10. Interesting facts.
-The mortality rate of this disease is very high, 50%-90%; some sources reported 80%-90%.
-Because Ebola does not have a cure, it is classifies as a Biosafety Level 4 agent and a Category A bioterrorism agent.
-In the movie Outbreak, the virus looks the same as the ebola virus.
-An ebola cuddly toy does exist.
-Unlike what is typically seen of an ebola virus in movies, victims do not bleed to death and become zombies. In fact, only 10% of patients
suffer from external bleeding issues.
- The virus does sometimes get misdiagnosed with malaria, typhoid fever, or influenza.
EBOLA VIRUS
1. Virus name (Scientific)
Ebola is belonging to genus Ebolavirus.
2. Disease or disorder caused by virus .
Ebola hemorrhagic fever
3. Description of virus structure.
-
Thread like structure
-
Tubular, variable in shape
-
80nm in diameter. 970 nm in length.
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Nucleocaspid in center. (40nm-50nm)
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Viral envelop of virion. (10nm apart)
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In between the nucleocaspid and envelop there are place call matrix space (viral protein VP40 and VP24 are located)
4. How is the virus transmitted?
Ebola virus transmitted by direct contact with infected body fluids. The incubation period can be between 2-21days.
5. How can transmission be prevented?
Transmission can be prevented in following way
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To avoid from contact with body fluid (ex. Blood, feces or vomit etc.) of the patient.
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People who infected by the disease must be restrained quarantine .
6. Describe the type of the body cells attacked?
Once the virus inside a host, it began to replicate. The seven proteins that made up virus begin to consume the host cell as it replicate. These protein attack the body of the cell and structural proteins of the body of the host cell.
7. What are the symptoms of infection?
There are many symptoms. In the early stage, there may be high fever, severe headache, muscle joint or abdominal pain, severe weakness, sore throat, nausea and dizziness. Before a breakout is notified, these symptoms can be easily mistaken from other disease like malaria, typhoid fever or other bacterial infection, which are less fatal. Then there are serious symptoms such as diarrhea, dark or bloody feces, vomiting blood, red eyes, petechia, maculopopular rash and purpura. Other symptoms include hypotension, hypovolemia, tachycardia, organ damage (kidney, liver, spleen). Chemical reaction between the virus and platetes would lead to interior bleeding. Some times, internal or external hemorrhage from orifices (ex. Nose and mouth) may also occur, or incompletely healed injuries. Ebola virus can infect platetes, disrupting clotting. The fatal rate is very high. It's between 50%-90%.
8. How does body defend itself?
The Ebola virus has a tropism for liver cell and macrophages. Macrophages are cells that engulf bacteria and help the body to defend against disease.
9. Are there any treatment/vaccines?
The treatment for Ebola virus is primarily supportive.
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minimizing invasive procedures
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balancing electrolytes
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replacing lost coagulation factors
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maintain oxygen and blood level
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treating any complicating infections
The vaccines have been discovered is only useful for the monkeys but NOT human.
10. 5 interesting facts
-
Ebola virus is named after a river in DRC. The place where it had first breakout.
-
There is a movie call Outbreak talks about this virus.
-
There are Ebola virus cuddly toy.
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Myth of Ebola virus (people always exaggerating it)
There is no CURE for this diesase cause by Ebola virus!! (so beware of it!!!)
BY: DAISY WU
BLOCK C
Ebolavirus can be transmitted from animals to humans. The virus is transmitted from direct contact with bodily fluids and skin. To prevent transmission avoid contact with infected people. Avoid anyone who has died and was infected with this virus. Ebola virus is highly infectious and contagious. It causes sicknesses including gastrointestinal distress (stomach and intestine inflammation), hemorrhagic fever (deadly bleeding), and death.
The Ebola virus has a threadlike structure and is typically 1000nm long.
The Ebola virus replicates well in a wide variety of cells and organs. The most likely to be infected and cause such symptoms such as shock are the endothelial cells which are the layer of cells on the surface of the blood vessels. Early symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pains, severe weakness, sore throat, dizziness which can easily be mistaken for malaria, bacterial infections and influenza. Later more serious symptoms include dark and bloody feces, throwing up blood, petchia (small red or purple spots on body caused by minor hemorrhage), purpura (bleeding underneath the skin) and maculopapular rash (red rash, like a pimple or small bump like the measles).
The body forms antibody proteins when the body defends itself against Ebola virus. Vaccines have been produced and have proved to be 100% successful for treating a group of monkeys, but vaccines made for humans still have no record of being successful. Major problem is unless the patient is treated one to four days after symptoms begin, there would have been too much damage to the body to repair. The treatment is meant for replacing lost coagulation factors ( that form clots) to help stop bleeding and maintain blood and oxygen levels. There is NO found cure for Ebolavirus.
Five interesting facts~
The first outbreak of Ebolavirus was in 1976 in Sudan and Zaire.
This virus was and can be used in biological warfare since there is no known cure.
Incubation period (time between infection and signs of disease) ranges from two to twenty one days.
As of August 30th, 2007 100 adults and three children have died due to the virus. Outbreak started after funeral of two village chiefs.
By Vanessa Fong 
Block D ~
EBOLA VIRUS
-The name for the desease that is caused by Ebola virus is Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever
-Among humans, the virus is transmitted by direct contact with body fluids, or to a lesser extent, skin or mucus membrane contact.
-The incubation period can be anywhere from 2 to 21 days, but it is generally between 5 and 10 days.
-The transmission of the virus can be prevented by ceasing all needle sharing, sterilization, patients isolation and wearing protective face masks, gloves, goggles and gown.
- Endothelical cells are likely the cause of the symptoms that appear in the late
stages of infection :
- the endothelium is the thin layer of cells
- these cells reduce friction of the flow of blood allowing the fluid to be pumped
further (so eventually one will bleed to death)
Initial symptoms include:
- high fever
- severe headache
- muscle, joint or abdominal pain
- severe weakness and exhaustion
- sore throat
- nausea and dizziness
Also, Ebola may progress to cause more serious symptoms, sucha as diarrhea,
dark or bloody faces, vomiting with blood, red eyes, petechia, maculopapular rash,
and purpura.
The virus is very affective , so there is almost no possible way for the body to defend itself
from the Ebola virus.
Unfortumately, there is no vaccination for Ebola virus. The vaccines that were discovered
are effective only on monkeys but not humans.
5 Interesting facts about Ebola virus:
1.The Ebola virus kills 4 out 5 humans it infects.
2.There is an Ebola virus cuddly toy.
3.In the movie Outbreak the virus looks the same as the Ebola virus.
4.here is no vaccine discovered that would cure the Ebola virus.
5. The virus belongs to the Filoviridae family.
By: Bridget Amelchanka/ block D
EBOLA
- Ebolavirus is the scientific name for ebola.
- Ebola is known to be a zoonotic virus. It is an infectious disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans and vise versa. This url shows a handrawn picture of the virushttp://img159.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebolaho6.png .
- Ebolavirus is characterized by a long, filamention structure surrounded by a lipid envelope.
- It is transmitted by direct contact with infected body fluids, skin or mucus membrane contact.
- Transmission of ebolavirus can be prevented by avoiding direct contact with infected body fluis, skin or mucus membrane contact.
- The type of cells that are attacked are the enothelial cells (layers of cells on the surface of blood vessels) .
- Early symptoms of this infection are; high fever, severe headache, severe exhaustion, sore throat, nausea, pain in the muscle, joint and abdominal. Ebolavirus can also lead to more serious symtomps such as; diarrhea, dark or bloody feces, vomiting blood, petechia, maculopapular and purpura .
- The body defends itself from ebolavirus by producing specific antibody proteins .
- There are no vaccines that are made for humans against ebola. However there are treatments given to help minimize large procedures, replacing lost coagulation factors in able to reduce or stop the bleeding .
- Other facts:
- Classified as a Biosafety Level 4
- Can be used as a biological warfare
- Similar to marburg virus
- Ebola is limited on a global scale
- There is an ebola cuddly toy
By: Joy Tolentino
Block: D
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