Ebola in Africa

James Rutherford
Microbiology
Ebola in Africa
Unit 6

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2
Spread of Ebola in West Africa

There are many infections that can be transmitted between people.

This is especially true if there are cultural practices that make people come
in contact with each others bodily fluids and close contact with other people.
This is aiding West Africa in the transmission of the popular Ebola virus. So
what is the Ebola virus, and how does it work?
The Ebola hemorrhagic fever, known to us as the Ebola virus, is a
highly fatal illness in humans. This virus has a fatality rate of up to 90%
(WHO 2014). This virus naturally lives in bats. It is transmitted to humans
through contact with blood, secretions, or other bodily fluids of infected
animals, such as bats. In Africa the virus has also been documented as being
transmitted through the handling of other infected animals such as chimps,
gorillas, monkeys, or porcupines which have been found dead or in Africas
rain forest (WHO 2014). The onset of Ebola is sudden and severe. The first
symptoms an infected person might experience are fever, weakness, muscle
pain, headache, and sore throat. This is then closely followed by vomiting,
diarrhea, rash, and well as impaired liver and kidney functions (WHO 2014).
As long as the virus remains in a persons blood, it can be transmitted and
that person is considered infected. The virus can also be transmitted through
semen for up to seven weeks after recovery from the illness (WHO 2014).
The incubation period for this virus is two to twenty-one days. There are
many other diseases that have similar symptoms to the Ebola virus that
should be ruled out before being diagnosed with it. These diseases include:

Ebola in Africa

Malaria, Typhoid Fever, Shigellosis, Cholera, Leptospirosis, Plague,

Rickettsiosis, Relapsing Fever, Meningitis, and Hepatitis.

In Western Africa, there are many ritualistic practices that are done in
different villages. With some of these practices, many come into contact with
each others bodily fluids which are a pool for disease transmission. Ebola
outbreak has been more common in villages, but the spread between
boarders is increasing. One of the rituals in Africa that can lead to the
transmission of the Ebola virus is in burial rituals. When a person dies in
Africa, their body is given to the sister to clean and prepare the body, as well
as putting it in a favorite outfit. They also have a viewing where family and
friends are encouraged to touch a body on the face or anywhere else on the
body known as the love of touch. When this happens, there is a possibility
for transmission.
There is also a tattooing ritual known as the scarification. There are many
reasons that people are given scars in Africa. It starts during childhood and
continues on through life. Scars are especially common among young African
girls. These rituals celebrate the onset of puberty, first menstrual cycle, and
childbirth. Scaring on a womans abdomen is done on women of
marriageable age. This shows the womans willingness to bear children (Love
to Know 2006). This ritual also symbolizes fertility, family pride, and
protection from death. Being a third world country, many of these rituals are
performed using the same needles and razors. This is because there are not
enough supplies available to use a new one on each person.

Ebola in Africa

There is also a person know as a traveling doctor who drives from town
to town administering over-the-counter antibiotics to people via
intramuscular injection. It is the same case here, with scarce supplies in
different villages. The doctor is unlicensed and untrained and doesnt fully
sterilize needles before using them on different patients. Africa also has a
tradition of becoming blood brothers. Blood brothers are a bond between
two brothers by birth, or two men who swear loyalty to one another. With this
ritual, both people make a small incision somewhere on their body; this could
be the hand or the forearm. These two small cuts are then pressed together.
Understandably, this is a huge health risk to both people and could
potentially spread any pathogen to each other.
Pig farms in Africa can also play a role because there is an increased
presence of fruit bats on these particular farms. Transmission results in
unsafe slaughtering practices, and unsafe consumption of fresh blood, raw
milk, or animal tissue (WHO 2014). When handling sick animals, protective
clothing should be worn. In areas such as Africa where there have been
reports of the virus in pigs and other animals, all animal products should be
thoroughly cooked before consumption.
According to WHO, there are 108 new cases. The United states have
decided to send fifty health experts to help try and contain the virus. We
have also engaged the help of from our European partners that work with
WHO. When the cell of the body is infected with a virus like Ebola, the cell
starts replicating and produces massive quantities on new versions. That cell
is then released into the body to infect other cells, and promotes infection.

Ebola in Africa

Tetherin in the body is a protection measure the body takes, which disables
the spread of a new infection by blocking the virus ability to spread to other
cells. Ebola has mutated to be able to disable tetherin in the body. This slows
down the bodys natural defense system which slows viral replication and
gives the person a chance to recover. This chemical in the body is also
disabled in HIV (Science Daily 2009).

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References
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. (2009, January 30). How Ebola
Virus Avoids The Immune System. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 5,
2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127152838.htm
Graphic Online.(2014, July 03). Cultural practices, Beliefs Aid Ebola Spread in
West Africa. Retrieved March 5, 2015 from
http://graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/26457-cultural-practicesbeliefs-aid-ebola-spread-in-west-africa.html
World Health Organization. (2014, April). Ebola Virus Disease. Retrieved
March 5, 2015 from
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/