Ebola Outbreak

Research papers on the Ebola outbreak are custom written by Paper Masters to overview the outbreak, the WHO's response and how the disaster is being contained. Any other aspect of Ebola can be written on when you receive custom research on medical health topics on any disease or disorder world-wide.

The most recent Ebola outbreak is spreading through West Africa from Guinea to Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria. There have been approximately 3000 reported cases; of which, 1500 infected people have died. However, according to Maggie Fox, NBC Reporter and author of "Where Did Ebola Come From? Likely One Person, Gene Study Finds", medical researchers and health care workers working in West Africa believe there are more. Many people are untrusting of hospitals and turn to traditional healers. The World Health Organization, predicts that upwards of 20,000 people will be infected with Ebola before it will be stopped.

The Ebola outbreak started in Guinea. According to Madison Park, author of "Report: Ebola outbreak probably started with 2-year-old in Guinea", researchers have traced the outbreak back to a single toddler. The toddler became ill, experiencing fever, black stool, and vomiting for four days before dying. Soon after, the child's mother, sister, and grandmother also started showing symptoms and died. Although it is unclear how the child contracted Ebola, WHO asserts, "In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines". Despite starting with animal to human contact, the outbreak is now rapidly spreading from human to human. It has been traced through families, from one village to the next, and through health care workers and healers. According to Pardis Sabeti, one of the researchers tracking the spread of Ebola, "We can see it entering different villages".

The Start of the Outbreak

The outbreak started in Guinea, but quickly spread to the following countries:

• Sierra Leona
• Liberia
• Nigeria

In Sierra Leona, the infection was traced back to a traditional healer, who traveled to Guinea to treat Ebola patients. She was infected and returned home before realizing she was infected. When she died, people from all over traveled to her funeral. According to Robert Garry, a virologist helping to track the outbreak, 14 additional people became infected when preparing the healer's body for burial. The outbreak spread rapidly from those people throughout the surrounding communities.

Although researchers don't know exactly how yet, the outbreak has clearly spread to Liberia and Nigeria. Tracking the spread of the disease helps researchers study the outbreak and work to find ways to quarantine and stop its spread. Part of the problem in stopping it is the speed and ease in which it spreads. Additionally, individuals can be infected for several days before displaying symptoms. Approximately 500 health care workers have been diagnosed with Ebola, and they have been traced as part of the spread. In one case, an infected health care worker spread it to a delivery truck driver, who subsequently carried the virus to multiple communities. With no clear way to stop the spread, it is unclear how far it will go.