The Ebola Virus
By: Steve • Research Paper • 907 Words • November 11, 2009 • 1,049 Views
Essay title: The Ebola Virus
Life
is a biological internet in which viruses travel like
messages, moving at high speed from node to
node and from city to city. They are diverse and
wild spread in every plane on the surface of the
earth. Ironically, such invisible creatures have a
substantially enormous effects on human life and
health. In most cases, Viruses are harmful and
sometimes deadly. One of these deadly viruses is
the Ebola virus, a highly contagious, deadly and
mysterious microbe, known to be the most lethal
virus known to human kind that have caused many
devastation. The mere essence of their existence is
not to cause harm, they are living organisms who
want to reproduce and spread with the help of a
host. The Ebola virus, like most viruses, consists
of a shell of proteins surrounding genetic material,
like RNA and DNA. Once inside the cell, the
virus gets hold to the host cell and the virus may
enter the cell as it injects its genetic material into
the host cell. The virus then uses the host cell's
machinery to replicate themselves and make new
copies of itself. Each new copy of the virus directs
the host cell to make it a protein shell. The new
viruses leave the host cell to other cells and repeat
the same process over and over again. Although
man is not Ebola's natural host, the virus infects
people, and the adventure is suicidal as the
infected victims struggle with the symptoms The
infected victim staggers, disoriented and
exhausted, and collapses in a fever, which is
known as the Haemorrhagic fever. The fever is
characterized by weakness, muscle pain,
headache and sore throat. The victim's eyes turn
bright red, and starts vomiting blood. The tongue
peels, and the heart muscle becomes soft.
Scientists believe that when the victim get in
contact with the virus, the virus first triggers a
combination of blood clots and hemorrhages. The
patient's bloodstream throws clots, and the clots
lodge everywhere, especially in the spleen, liver,
and brain, then it settle in the victim throat.
Bleeding involves the nose, abdomen, and
pericardium. Capillary leakage appears to lead to
loss of interavascular volume leading the patient to
fall in a shock and acute respiratory disorder
leaving the patient desperately trying to gasp their
breath. The virus kills its victims so quickly, before
it even can infect others. The incubation period for
the Ebola virus ranges from 2 to 21 days,
depending upon the method of infection. The
Ebola virus can be diagnosed with laboratory
testing of blood specimens under maximum
containment conditions as the high risk of infection
to those handling infected blood remains a
nightmare to them. Infection of this deadly virus
occurs through the blood and is replicated in
organs like the Liver, lymphatic organs, and the
kidneys. However, it is spread through