Embedded Files
What is Ebola?
What is Ebola?
(By Adrian Arévalo C.)
(By Adrian Arévalo C.)
Ebola, also known as EVD, is a deadly virus that spreads through direct or indirect contact between people and/or infected animals. It originally had an outbreak in the African continent between 2014 - 2016. The most common symptoms for the contaminated people are: fever, aches, weakness, fatigue and abdominal pain.
Ebola, also known as EVD, is a deadly virus that spreads through direct or indirect contact between people and/or infected animals. It originally had an outbreak in the African continent between 2014 - 2016. The most common symptoms for the contaminated people are: fever, aches, weakness, fatigue and abdominal pain.
Some key factors to understand Ebola are:
Some key factors to understand Ebola are:
- The ways this virus quickly spreads in the food chain leading to the infection of humans.
- Even though there's a lot of research investigating the virus, the exact cause of Ebola is still unknown to this day.
Pathogen (Classification/Description/Adaptations)
Pathogen (Classification/Description/Adaptations)
(By Rodrigo J. Gramajo Avila)
(By Rodrigo J. Gramajo Avila)
Classification:
Classification:
The ebolavirus is a Filoviridae from the Mononegaviral order. There are five known types of Ebola, ranging from: Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Tai Forest ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus and Bombali ebolavirus.
The ebolavirus is a Filoviridae from the Mononegaviral order. There are five known types of Ebola, ranging from: Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Tai Forest ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus and Bombali ebolavirus.
Description:
Description:
Ebola-viruses contain single-stranded RNA genomes, making their adaptation and evolution processes faster than RNA viruses. They appear to be in the shape of a "worm", (they look like "U"s or "6,"s) and are 80 nano meters in width and may be as 14,000 nano meters in length. Plus, they usually spread through direct contact.
Ebola-viruses contain single-stranded RNA genomes, making their adaptation and evolution processes faster than RNA viruses. They appear to be in the shape of a "worm", (they look like "U"s or "6,"s) and are 80 nano meters in width and may be as 14,000 nano meters in length. Plus, they usually spread through direct contact.
Adaptations:
Adaptations:
Ebola normally lived in wild animals like bats, but as it replicated mutations would occur until it was well adapted to the host, however, this changed with (whether direct or indirect contact of an infected bat), the virus jumping into a new species which would spread to others via the food chain, finally leading to the infection of humans and the problem we are dealing with now.
Ebola normally lived in wild animals like bats, but as it replicated mutations would occur until it was well adapted to the host, however, this changed with (whether direct or indirect contact of an infected bat), the virus jumping into a new species which would spread to others via the food chain, finally leading to the infection of humans and the problem we are dealing with now.
Vector (Classification/Description/Adaptations):
Vector (Classification/Description/Adaptations):
(By Rodrigo J. Gramajo Avila)
(By Rodrigo J. Gramajo Avila)
Classification:
Classification:
The prime Ebola vector agents are fruit bats, which come from the Pteropodidae family and the Chiroptera order, however, the virus has also been detected in chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, antelopes, porcupines, rodents, dogs, pigs and humans.
The prime Ebola vector agents are fruit bats, which come from the Pteropodidae family and the Chiroptera order, however, the virus has also been detected in chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, antelopes, porcupines, rodents, dogs, pigs and humans.
Description:
Description:
Fruit bats are mammals that live in warm climates, have hair in their bodies, large eyes that provide an excellent vision in night, an overall wing length up to five feet, and entirely feed on fruit. They are found in groups hanging down on trees.
Fruit bats are mammals that live in warm climates, have hair in their bodies, large eyes that provide an excellent vision in night, an overall wing length up to five feet, and entirely feed on fruit. They are found in groups hanging down on trees.
Adaptations:
Adaptations:
Bats have grown resistance to various forms of viruses, including Ebola, because they have high metabolic rates at all times and ongoing immune signaling. However, they also act as reservoirs for over 60 deadly pathogens for other species.
Bats have grown resistance to various forms of viruses, including Ebola, because they have high metabolic rates at all times and ongoing immune signaling. However, they also act as reservoirs for over 60 deadly pathogens for other species.
Biodiversity degradation that promotes the emergence of the disease in humans:
Biodiversity degradation that promotes the emergence of the disease in humans:
(By Adrian Arévalo and Rodrigo J.)
(By Adrian Arévalo and Rodrigo J.)
Because of the continuous deforestation in Central Africa, people are often exposed to new creatures that have the possibility of being carriers of unknown and untreated diseases. In the case of Ebola, there's proof that it is attributed to human-made habitat change, such as the fact that Ebola outbreaks located along the limits of the rain forests were associated with recent forest loss. This means that the natural habitat of the fruit bats was altered and thus had to relocate, having contact with fruit, which in turn an have contact with insects, finally spreading the virus elsewhere, this will then reach animals that will infect others through the food chain and finally reach humans.
Because of the continuous deforestation in Central Africa, people are often exposed to new creatures that have the possibility of being carriers of unknown and untreated diseases. In the case of Ebola, there's proof that it is attributed to human-made habitat change, such as the fact that Ebola outbreaks located along the limits of the rain forests were associated with recent forest loss. This means that the natural habitat of the fruit bats was altered and thus had to relocate, having contact with fruit, which in turn an have contact with insects, finally spreading the virus elsewhere, this will then reach animals that will infect others through the food chain and finally reach humans.
What does this tell us?
What does this tell us?
The complex interactions in the ecosystems maintains an optimal equilibrium that prevent the emergence of diseases in humans. For this reason, it’s pretty well established that deforestation can be a strong driver of infectious disease transmission. It’s a numbers game: The more we degrade and clear forest habitats, the more likely it is that we’re going to find ourselves in these situations where epidemics of infectious diseases occur. Like stated previously, the Ebola pandemic started because people were altering bats' habitats and thus leading to it being spread in the food chain when the bats' moved, this is proof that humans are actually responsible for what happened and proves that we should take care of nature more, so I reaffirm my statement: The interactions in ecosystems maintain an equilibrium and prevents diseases like Ebola.
The complex interactions in the ecosystems maintains an optimal equilibrium that prevent the emergence of diseases in humans. For this reason, it’s pretty well established that deforestation can be a strong driver of infectious disease transmission. It’s a numbers game: The more we degrade and clear forest habitats, the more likely it is that we’re going to find ourselves in these situations where epidemics of infectious diseases occur. Like stated previously, the Ebola pandemic started because people were altering bats' habitats and thus leading to it being spread in the food chain when the bats' moved, this is proof that humans are actually responsible for what happened and proves that we should take care of nature more, so I reaffirm my statement: The interactions in ecosystems maintain an equilibrium and prevents diseases like Ebola.
So it is safe to state that the interaction with bats and the ecosystem is essential to keep deadly viruses from spreading. Ebola "jumped" from species to species until it reached humans, where it adapted and is where we are all now.
So it is safe to state that the interaction with bats and the ecosystem is essential to keep deadly viruses from spreading. Ebola "jumped" from species to species until it reached humans, where it adapted and is where we are all now.
Sources:
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebolavirus
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/11/how-ebola-adapted-to-us/506369/
https://www.dummies.com/health/diseases/ebola/the-5-species-of-ebola/
https://www.seeker.com/facts-about-the-ebola-virus-1769095786.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megabat
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/why-don-t-bats-get-ebola/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5904276/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/climate/animals-humans-virus-covid.html
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse