Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (colloquially known as Ebola) is all the media seems to be talking about nowadays as more and more cases of the terrifying disease spring up from across the globe. Stories of victim deaths or of the newly afflicted have been popping up on places CNN, the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and various other local news sources; but what exactly is this viral sensation (pardon the pun) and why is it just now approaching epidemic status? Moreover, what does recent talk of the disease mean for Canadians and what are we doing about taking measures against infection?
Since March of this year, cases of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever have been springing up all across Western Africa with countries such as Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia becoming target zones for the spread of disease. Other African countries have also been affected within the African Continent – places like Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo – subtotalling a staggering death toll of just over 2400 individuals. According to research conducted in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia, countries not in the African continent have also exhibited cases of victims diagnosed with EHF after traveling to Africa or upon sharing contact with affected individuals.
Included in the list of recently affected countries is our neighbor to the South, the United States. Within the months that the epidemic has spread, the U.S. has already reported to have been the site of one death attributed to the disease and upwards of about eight cases with at least half of them having undergone quarantine. Most recently, a nurse of U.S. Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan, who passed away from the disease on October 8th, 2014, has been diagnosed with EHF. According to sources covering her story, she was reportedly infected with the disease upon treating Mr. Duncan without the aid of proper protective gear. Like other victims, she was infected upon immediate contact with Duncan and/or with the equipment which she used that also shared contact with Duncan. Therefore, it is important to note that in all cases reported, the spread of EHF has been linked with instances of direct contact with either person or object that has been in contact with and thereby housing the virus.
Ebola is an extremely contagious contact-virus that can only be picked up when the virus comes in contact with a new host. Moreover, with the introduction of the disease into the States via medical contact during the treatment of infected patients, without proper protective gear and quarantine protocol, medical staff can be infected or worse. Families of victims can catch the virus and continue to spread it as has been shown in the States. If this trend continues, as it shows signs of doing so, then Canada may find itself coming under fire with scares of patient contact with the virus (especially if they have been traveling to Africa within the past 32 days of contact with the Ebola virus without seeking any medical attention.)
The city of Ottawa has already experienced such a case when a patient was admitted into a hospital exhibiting “Ebola-like symptoms” but was later released for having tested negative for EHF3. The incident in Ottawa and globally surfacing of the Ebola virus has propelled a Canadian project aimed at creating a vaccine to protect host bodies from being contaminated with the virus upon contact. The vaccine, which has already begun trial on humans, showed great success on the primates when it was surveyed; it is the hope of the drugs’ creators that is it will show promise in humans, as well. As of present, all rights associated with the drug belong to a U.S. company, although tests are being run by Canadians. If these trials prove to be fruitful, then the world just might have a practical solution to a deeply unsettling epidemic.
As of yet, there is no cure for Ebola and doctors are struggling to isolate an effective treatment. Essentially, what this amounts to, is a growing need for North Americans to become more conscious of the realities that this as-of-yet incurable virus is becoming active in environments that are closer to home than were immediately imagined. Cases of Ebola have been reported in Atlanta, Texas, and have been speculated in Ottawa. Canadians should be advised that it would not be impossible for Canadian travelers who plan to venture to locations where contact with EHF have been reported to contract the illness and in the process, to introduce it to metropolitan cities in Canada, such as Toronto.
All travel-lovers should be wary of visiting high-risk zones and should take precautions to avoid any contamination. If contamination is unavoidable, then isolation and immediate medical attention is the best course of action. Until there is a cure for Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever or until more information surfaces on how to combat it, Canadians can temporarily rest assured that they are safe from infection. However, this momentary relief should not be taken for granted as it is becoming increasingly likely that we are dealing with an epidemic that shows no signs of slowing down and whose next major target could very well be North America. Stay safe if you are traveling and stay informed because things are looking hopeful in the news right now for a tiny Ebola virus to make a very big, very bad impact.
SOURCES:
1 http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html
2 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2791171/ebola-victim-thomas-eric…
3 http://o.canada.com/news/patient-with-ebola-like-symptoms-in-isolation-a…
4 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/13/canada-testing-ebola-vaccin…
5 http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1969779/thumbs/o-EBOLA-facebook.jpg
6 http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03019/Ebola-suit_3019099b.jpg
7 http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-and-educate-yourself.png