Unless you have been living under a rock,
you have most likely heard about the ever- so threatening Ebola virus. The
Ebola virus originates from West Africa, it first appeared in 1976 in two
simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara, Sudan, Yambuku and the other in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. Ebola is spread by direct contact such as, broken
skin, organs or other bodily fluid of infected people.
The first symptoms of Ebola include fever,
fatigue, muscle weakness, sore throat and in some rare cases internal or
external bleeding. Despite the gruesome symptoms, there really is not much to
worry about. The single digit of people in America that have it are being
quarantined and cannot come in contact with anyone not wearing a biohazard
suit. The safety measures in America are so much stronger than in third world
countries why it spreads so easily in those countries. So for those worrying
about an outbreak you have nothing to stress about.
While
Ebola is a terrible disease it has been prevalent in Africa since the 1970s and
the media has just now caught up with it when it came to America so living in
constant fear that you will catch Ebola won’t really help matters. Also, living
in a very progressive country we have more medical knowledge and supplies to
fight off an outbreak should one happen. The Center for Disease Control and
prevention (CDC) is doing everything they can to screen people coming from the
effected regions of Africa.
The first Ebola diagnosis in the U.S was
reported September 30 at Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and sadly, the
patient died on October 8. The CDC then reports a second case diagnosed on
October 11th, a nurse at the same hospital the first patient was treated
in.
A third case at the
same site, another health care worker caring for the patient, was diagnosed
October 15. Among earlier confirmed U.S. Ebola cases were two Americans who
returned already ill from West Africa for treatment at Emory University
Hospital in Atlanta. They were treated and released virus free. In a
Gallup poll of over one thousand Americans taken
on October 5, 2014, one fifth were worried about contracting Ebola. Still,
the chances you'll be exposed to Ebola in the United States are very low
because of the tight infection control practices of public health workers here.
CDC workers are taking steps to identify
anyone who may have been in contact with the first patients with Ebola, who
were hospitalized in Texas. Health workers are stepping up infection control
practices that will include isolating any of the patients' contacts who may
become ill. Tom Frieden M.D director of the CDC stressed in a public statement that the situation here
in the United States, where health care systems are strong, will be far
different from the experience in West Africa. He noted that he has no doubts
about the ability to contain Ebola here.
Meanwhile, public health officials are
working hard in West Africa to contain the disease and prevent its spread.
Researchers around the world are looking for ways to prevent and treat Ebola by searching
for a vaccine and cure. The first human safety
tests of a new trial vaccine are underway, developed with the U.S. National
Institutes of Health.
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