The Ebola virus is currently a very big issue in the world today. It has spread throughout West Africa and can be very dangerous. Once infected with Ebola it is very difficult to survive. Even scarier still, Ebola doesn’t affect just one specific population.
The Ebola virus is not more susceptible to one group of people than it is to another. It affects everyone the same. From America, to Africa, to Spain, the Ebola virus causes the same devastation and pain to everyone (Fox 2014). There is no mutation a group of people possess that makes them immune to the disease. That being said, even though people are affected the same by the virus, it is more prone to certain places in the world.Countries with poor health care systems are more likely to …show more content…
Currently, it is affecting countries in West and Central Africa, and to a lesser degree, countries such as the US and Spain. Even though it is currently circulating in those countries, as long as the Ebola virus is anywhere, it has the potential to spread all over the world (Fox 2014). With all the present day technology we have in the area of transportation, any virus can spread from one side of the world to the other, which is why, unless the virus is contained, it will be found everywhere (Fox 2014).
The Ebola virus is a systemic infection, which means every single organ and tissue, excluding bones and skeletal muscles, are under constant attack (MDHealth 2014). Scientists have not completely figured out exactly how the virus works but the most supported theory is that the virus particles release proteins which weaken the body’s immune system responses making it unable to defend itself (MDHealth 2014).
Ebola’s first step in attacking the body is to target the immune cells which are normally our body’s first line of defense against infection. The virus attacks the body’s dendritic cells which are responsible for the activation of T cells which would normally kill off the infected cells before they can spread. With the dendritic cells disrupted, the T cells are not activated and the virus can multiply uninterrupted. Ebola impedes with interferon production, which is a protein that cells use to fight viral reproduction (MDHealth …show more content…
Another major part in the Ebola virus’ attack on the body, is its ability to cause blood clots. Clots form early on causing the patient's blood to slowly thicken resulting in decreased blood flow. As the clots get stuck in the blood vessel, the patient will exhibit external signs, such as, red spots on the surface of the skin. As the disease progresses, the clots increase in size. All of the clotting inside the body begins to cause decreased blood supply to the vital areas of the body such as the liver, brain, kidneys, lungs, intestines, testicles and extremities (MDHealth 2014)
In the final stages of the disease’s progression, the patient begins to spontaneously bleed from their eyes, ears, nose, and tears in the skin which can appear suddenly. Death usually occurs due to a serious drop in blood pressure from the damage done to the blood vessels, which originated from the blood clots, as well as, from massive blood loss. Death can also occur due to multi-organ failure and/or shock (MDHealth
The Ebola virus is not more susceptible to one group of people than it is to another. It affects everyone the same. From America, to Africa, to Spain, the Ebola virus causes the same devastation and pain to everyone (Fox 2014). There is no mutation a group of people possess that makes them immune to the disease. That being said, even though people are affected the same by the virus, it is more prone to certain places in the world.Countries with poor health care systems are more likely to …show more content…
Currently, it is affecting countries in West and Central Africa, and to a lesser degree, countries such as the US and Spain. Even though it is currently circulating in those countries, as long as the Ebola virus is anywhere, it has the potential to spread all over the world (Fox 2014). With all the present day technology we have in the area of transportation, any virus can spread from one side of the world to the other, which is why, unless the virus is contained, it will be found everywhere (Fox 2014).
The Ebola virus is a systemic infection, which means every single organ and tissue, excluding bones and skeletal muscles, are under constant attack (MDHealth 2014). Scientists have not completely figured out exactly how the virus works but the most supported theory is that the virus particles release proteins which weaken the body’s immune system responses making it unable to defend itself (MDHealth 2014).
Ebola’s first step in attacking the body is to target the immune cells which are normally our body’s first line of defense against infection. The virus attacks the body’s dendritic cells which are responsible for the activation of T cells which would normally kill off the infected cells before they can spread. With the dendritic cells disrupted, the T cells are not activated and the virus can multiply uninterrupted. Ebola impedes with interferon production, which is a protein that cells use to fight viral reproduction (MDHealth …show more content…
Another major part in the Ebola virus’ attack on the body, is its ability to cause blood clots. Clots form early on causing the patient's blood to slowly thicken resulting in decreased blood flow. As the clots get stuck in the blood vessel, the patient will exhibit external signs, such as, red spots on the surface of the skin. As the disease progresses, the clots increase in size. All of the clotting inside the body begins to cause decreased blood supply to the vital areas of the body such as the liver, brain, kidneys, lungs, intestines, testicles and extremities (MDHealth 2014)
In the final stages of the disease’s progression, the patient begins to spontaneously bleed from their eyes, ears, nose, and tears in the skin which can appear suddenly. Death usually occurs due to a serious drop in blood pressure from the damage done to the blood vessels, which originated from the blood clots, as well as, from massive blood loss. Death can also occur due to multi-organ failure and/or shock (MDHealth