Ebola is usually referred to as the Ebola Hemorrhagic Virus.

Named after the river where it was first discovered, the Ebola virus is approximately 920nm long and 80nm in diameter, and is determined to be a level four biohazard. Ebola is one of two members, along with the Marburg virus, of the Filoviridae virus family. Viruses in this family have unique U shaped structures, and one molecule of single stranded, negative-sense RNA. More simply, this is a family of RNA (ribonucleic acid) viruses that look like the letter U. Besides filoviruses, the other families of viruses known to cause a viral hemorrhagic fever are aenaviruses, flaviviruses, and bunyaviruses. The viruses in these families (viruses classified hemorrhagic) are all, like Ebola, enveloped, or covered, RNA viruses, making eachr and every one of them, again including Ebola, able to genetically mutate to adapt to their surroundings very easily. A hemorrhagic virus causes multiple organ systems of an organism to be affected by internal bleeding, or hemorrhaging. Concerning humans, Ebola outbreaks have so far been limited to Africa (except for cases of one scientist being infected by a specimen), in the countries of Congo, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Gabon, Sudan, and Uganda. Ebola has five different strains, each of which has a different gene order, but the same string-like shape. The first, and most destructive strain is Ebola Zaire. It has a 90% fatality rate and was the first strain to be discovered, in 1976. It has reoccurred quite often since then. The second strain, Ebola Sudan, was discovered in western Sudan in 1976, shortly after the discovery of the first strain, Ebola Zaire. Ebola Sudan has also occurred quite often since. It has a 60% fatality rate. Ebola Ivory Coast, sometimes called Ebola Tai, appeared for the first, and so far, last time in1995 when only one person, a Swiss scientist, was infected while studying a monkey from the Ivory Coast that was infected with the virus. Ebola Bundibugyo is the fourth of the five strains of Ebola. Of all

five strains, the only one that is not known to affect humans is Ebola Reston. Ebola Reston first appeared in 1989, in monkeys brought to the United States from the Philippines. Four humans were infected, but not one came down with the disease. This leads scientists to believe that Ebola Reston does not sicken humans. However, this strain of Ebola means that the disease exists on more than one continent. Additionally, this strain was passed from monkey to monkey through air, leading scientists to speculate that the Ebola virus could genetically mutate to gain the ability to transmit through, well, air. So far, though, Ebola Reston has been the only strain that has done this in a real world setting (other strains have done this in a laboratory, but never in real lifescientists speculate the chances of them doing so in real life are small). In short, three of Ebolas five strains - Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan, and Ebola Bundibugyo - infect humans quite often in the form of large outbreaks. One strain - Ebola Ivory Coast - has only infected one person. The fifth strain - Ebola Reston - is from the Philippines, and is only found to cause disease in primates. Altogether, Ebola has infected 1,850 people and killed over1,200. Ebola incubation time is anywhere from 2-21 days. The disease sets to work quickly, but the first symptoms are unspecific to Ebola, and therefore, the disease may go unrecognized. The first symptoms include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, weakness, fatigue, exhaustion, dizziness, stomach pain, loss of appetite, red and itchy eyes, backache, nausea, malaise, rash, and hiccups. Later symptoms include bloody diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function, severe stomach pain, depression, eye inflammation, increased pain on skin, bloodcontaining rash over entire body, red roof of mouth, seizures, coma, delirium, shock, respiratory problems, nervous system malfunction, chest pain, vomiting blood, a failure of blood to clot, and bleeding from skin, internal organs, gastrointestinal tract, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The Ebola virus particularly affects liver cells, the fibroblastic reticular system (maximizer of immune

responses), capillaries (this causes plasma to leak), spleens, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. Ebola is literally the liquification of your organs. In the early stages, Ebola is sometimes diagnosed by a blood, urine, or saliva test. There are a select few who survive Ebola for unknown reasons. These people, however, seem to have quicker antibody responses to the virus, not allowing it time to replicate. They may, however, suffer hair loss and sensory changes later on. Ebola is highly contagious. It is transmitted between people through contact with blood, fluids, or secretions from the infected person. This can sometimes even include sweat and saliva, so things such as a handshake or a conversation from up to three feet away can transmit the virus. Even the corpse of a deceased Ebola victim is contagious, and in Africa, the burial of these corpses can infect even more people. Objects that an infected person has touched are sometimes also contaminated. In the underfunded hospitals of Africa, needles and syringes are sometimes reused, infecting even more people. Doctors and nurses can become sick too, if they do not wear the proper protective equipment. Luckily, the Ebola cannot be transmitted between humans through air, but, as stated above, some say that could happen in the future if the virus genetically mutates. Many cases of Ebola begin from human contact with an infected primate or African antelope. However, because these animals die just as quickly from Ebola as humans, the virus would need a host, or natural reservoir, to ensure its continued survival. Once discovered, the natural reservoir of Ebola could help scientists learn more, and possibly develop a cure, for this disease. There have been many different ideas as to what the host could be, including rodents, insects, birds, or even plants. However, the most recent research seems to point to bats as the natural reservoir of Ebola.

Ebola can be prevented by using barrier nursing techniques, wearing gloves, masks, goggles, and gowns when caring for sick patients, isolating sick patients, quickly and properly burying the deceased, sterilizing objects used by infected people, sterilizing medical equipment, and using proper hygiene. All of these factors, however, are difficult to accomplish in such third world countries as Africas. There is no current treatment for Ebola. Patients are now simply given medication to treat the symptoms, such as antiviral drugs, especially ribavirin. Patients are also given fluids through a vein and transfusions of platelets or fresh blood. However, none of these cures work very well. Many vaccines for Ebola are being tried, but so far, no one has had success. Another cure being tried is a protein called cyanovirin-N that is found in a blue-green algae. It has been found to increase the lifetime of victims and to inhibit some of the Ebola viruss ability to cross cellular membranes. A third cure being tried is using antibodies of people who have recovered from Ebola to assist in the recovery of the currently infected. For the moment, however, the mysterious, gruesome, and deadly disease of Ebola lives on.