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What Is Ebola Virus? I Don’t Mean To Scare You With This Post

By | August 3rd, 2014 | Modified - August 3rd, 2014

What Is Ebola Virus?

What Is Ebola Virus?
What Is Ebola Virus? What Does Ebola Do?

There are some things we don’t feel like dealing with because they remind us how fragile we are and the Ebola virus is one of those things. What is Ebola Virus? The Ebola virus causes Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever and is a severe and often fatal disease spread to humans.

The Ebola virus presents with flu-like symptoms that include: fatigue, fever, joint and muscle pain, abdominal pain, headache and sore throat. As the Ebola virus worsens vomiting, loss of appetite and diarrhea follows. This is followed by a bleeding stage caused by intravascular coagulation which is the cause of death.

Intravascular coagulation or disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is the over activation of the blood clotting process that results in the formation of blood clots in the small blood vessels throughout the body. Blood flow to the tissues and cells of the body’s organs is restricted cutting off nutrient distribution to the organs of the body.

Nutrients like oxygen and glucose that is needed for cellular metabolism is restricted, resulting in tissue death and organ failure. As the blood clotting factors that are responsible for the formation of blood clots and in this case intravascular coagulation are used up, severe internal and external bleeding in the body often occurs.The impaired blood clotting may present itself as reddening of the eyes, internal bleeding into the skin, vomiting blood, coughing up blood, and defecating blood.

What Causes The Ebola Virus?

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is caused by 5 distinct species of the Genus Ebolavirus that includes:

  • Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV)
  • Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV)
  • Reston ebolavirus (RESTV)
  • Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV)
  • Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV).v

BDBV, EBOV, and SUDV outbreaks have occurred in Africa, but RESTV and TAFV outbreaks have not. The RESTV species has been found in the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China. Though this species can infect humans no illness or death from this species have been reported to date.

Where Does Ebola Originate?

The Ebola virus first appeared in 2 simultaneous outbreaks in 1976, in Nzara and Sudan, and in a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo near the Ebola River and in Yambuku. The disease takes its name from the Ebola River. The virus usually appears in areas where the people are malnourished and have weakened immune systems which makes them susceptible to the virus.

How Is The Ebola Virus Transmitted

The Ebola virus appears to be transmitted to humans through the handling or eating of infected animals. In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead in the forest.

Fruits bats are considered to likely be the natural hosts of the Ebola virus. Some people do feel the virus is man-made and was spread through animals, but this is another subject for debate. The virus is also spread through the ritual washing of infected bodies of the deceased.

Ebola Virus Outbreak Numbers

The current outbreak of Ebola is of even more concern because of its high numbers compared to previous outbreaks.

Year Country Ebolavirus species Cases Deaths Case fatality
March 2014 – Present Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria Ebola virus 1134 622 54.9%
November 2012-January 2013 Uganda Sudan virus 6 3 50%
June-November 2012 Democratic Republic of the Congo Bundibugyo virus 36 13 36.1%
June-October 2012 Uganda Sudan virus 11 4 36.4%
May 2011 Uganda Sudan virus 1 1 100%
December 2008-February 2009 Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola virus 32 15 47%
November 2008 Philippines Reston virus 6 0 0%
December 2007-January 2008 Uganda Bundibugyo virus 149 37 25%
2007 Democratic Republic of Congo Ebola virus 264 187 71%
2005 Congo Zaire 12 10 83%
2004 Russia Ebola virus 1 1 1%
2004 Sudan (South Sudan Sudan virus 17 7 41%
November-December 2003 Republic of Congo Ebola virus 35 29 83%
December 2002-April 2003 Republic of Congo Ebola virus 143 128 90%
October 2001-March 2002 Congo Ebola virus 57 43 75%
October 2001-March 2002 Gabon Zaire 65 53 82%
2000-2001 Uganda Sudan virus 425 224 53%
1996 Russia Ebola virus 1 1 100%
1996 Philippines Reston virus 0 0 0%
1996 USA Reston virus 0 0 0%
1996 South Africa Ebola virus 2 1 50%
1996-1997 (July-January) Gabon Ebola virus 60 45 75%
1996 (January-April) Gabon Ebola virus 37 21 57%
1995 Democratic Republic of Congo Ebola virus 315 254 81%
1994 Cote d’Ivoire Taï Forest 1 0 0%
1994 Gabon Ebola virus 52 31 60%
1992 Italy Reston virus 0 0 0%
1989-1990 Philippines Reston virus 3 0 0%
1990 USA Reston virus 4 0 0%
1989 USA Reston virus 0 0 0%
1979 Sudan Sudan virus 34 22 65%
1977 Zaire Ebola virus 1 1 100%
1976 England Sudan virus 1 0 0%
1976 Sudan Sudan virus 284 151 53%
1976 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 318 280 88%

Table via the CDC

References:
World Health Organization
National Geographic – Where Does Ebola Hide Between Epidemics?
How Ebola Kills

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Alklaine Plant Based Diet
Alklaine Plant Based Diet

About Author:

Aqiyl Aniys is the author of the book Alkaline Herbal Medicine, the Alkaline Plant Based Diet book, and the children's book, Faith and Justice eat an Alkaline Plant Based Diet." He received a certificate in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University, a BA in Organizational Behavior and Communications from NYU, worked as an elementary school teacher, and studied social work. He enjoys boxing, kick boxing, cycling, power walking, and basically anything challenging, and his alkaline plant-based diet supports all that he does. Learn more about transitioning to avegan diet using the Dr. Sebi nutritional guide.

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