ebola

Question 1

when was the first ever case of ebola

Answer 1

1976

Question 2

what is ebola virus formerly called

Answer 2

Ebola hemorrhagic fever

Question 3

what is ebola death percentage of those infected

Answer 3

up to 90%

Question 4

what is the average fatality rate

Answer 4

50%

Question 5

where do most infection occur

Answer 5

in sub saharan African

Question 6

what is it called when a virus effects both animals and humans

Answer 6

Zoonotic

Question 7

where does the name ebola come from

Answer 7

the ebola river, situated near the village in the DRC where the first outbreak appeared

Question 8

what are the initial symptoms

Answer 8

headaches 
muscle and joint pain 
loss of appetite 
sore throat 
bleeding or bruising without obvious cause 
abdominal pan
impaired kidney and liver

Question 9

what are the advanced symtoms

Answer 9

blood blisters 
red eyes 
bleeding from the nose and mouth
internal bleeding 
hypotension, multiple organ failure and health

Question 10

explain the process by which a human may become infected with ebola

Answer 10

a person can become infected when encountering an infected animal, such as a fruit bat, monkey, or chimpanzee. The virus’s origin is unknown, but most evidence points to the pteropodidae fruit bat as a key host

Question 11

explain why it is important for people infected with ebola to be admitted to isolation wards

Answer 11

transmission can be through direct contact with an infected person via the skin or mucous. Bodily fluids can include sweat, saliva, faeces, breast milk, semen or urine

Question 12

define ebola

Answer 12

An infectious and frequently fatal disease marked by fever and severe internal bleeding, spreading through contact with infected body fluids by a filovirus (Ebola virus)

Question 13

describe the spatial distribution of ebola outbreaks

Answer 13

to date, local transmission of Ebola in humans has been isolated to the African continent, with outbreaks occurring in the DRC, South Sudan, Uganda, Rupublic of Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Etc

Question 14

describe the temporal distribution of Ebola outbreaks

Answer 14

to date, there have been around 30 human Ebola outbreaks between 1976 and 2021, resulting in more than 300,000 reported clinical cases and 12,630 deaths

Question 15

explain why less developed countries are more vulnerable to Ebola than more developed countries like the USA

Answer 15

Because they often have a wide range of physical and human factors that are not very good. this means that the spread of viruses such as ebola is much more common in less developed countries like west Africa. For example education in West, Africa is limited and therefore they are uneducated on the risk of Ebola and how to prevent it. this directly impacts the spread.

while developed countries like the USA have a good education on ebola and therefore people are aware of the disease and can actively fight it.

Question 16

explain the human factors that affect the distribution of ebola

Answer 16

social behavior- people caring for the sick are likely to become sick

Economy- economy that have been established are more likely to spread through various networks- roads, streets, gatherings

Health system- countries with bad health care will suffer more and lose more lives from ebola

Question 17

describe how social behavior impacts the distribution of ebola

Answer 17

it is only natural for humans to care for the sick, assisting with their cleaning and feeding during a period of illness

Therefore, given that Ebola is transmitted between humans through biological fluids, this rapidly increases the rate of infection within communities.

This also extends to healthcare workers who do not follow correct infection control procedures while treating Ebola patients.

Question 18

describe how the economy impacts the distribution of ebola

Answer 18

As high-risk countries become more economically developed, the spatial impact of ebola can be magnified due to the establishment of road networks, agriculture practices, and large population migration to urban areas.

This causes rapid spread

Question 19

describe how health systems impact the distribution of ebola

Answer 19

lots of west africa have a poor health care system. there is no familiarity for clinical diagnosis, laboratory support for diagnosis was not established, and health facilities were not adequately resourced

as a result of these factors ebola is able to cause more damage to the population, causing more loss of life.

Question 20

explain the physical factors that affect the distribution of ebola

Answer 20

climate- the correlation between location, specifically climate, and the risk of Ebola is high. Different climates can cause worse impacts

geographical location- most outbreaks have been contained to remote rural areas and were controlled rapidly, with support from WHO and other international partners

Question 21

describe how climate impacts the distribution of ebola

Answer 21

It has been observed that hydrologic changes can influence forest fruit production.

Foraging behavior in frugivorous species can be strongly influenced by seasonally driven temporal and spatial clustering of scare fruit resources.

This increases the presence of Ebola as frugivorous species are known to be the main course of ebola

ebola outbreaks are also more likely to occur in times of high absolute humidity, due to increased fruit production and the eating habits of animals that can transmit Ebola becoming more active

in areas of higher rainfall, roads become impassable. It makes it difficult to seek healthcare and implement infection control measures, which directly increases the risk of Ebola transmission.

Question 22

describe how geographical location impacts the distribution of ebola

Answer 22

most outbreaks have been contained in remote rural areas and were controlled rapidly, with support from WHO and other international partners.

the pteropodidae fruit bat is the reservoir host for both human and animal diseases. Thus the spatial distribution of Ebola is influenced by the natural territory of the bat.

through there is uncertainty about which species can transmit Ebola to humans, the fruit bat has been identified as the most likely origin of transmission to humans.

Question 23

what does WHO stand for

Answer 23

world health organization

Question 24

which countries have been most vulnerable to Ebola outbreaks

Answer 24

West Africa due to they perfect geographical location and climate

Question 25

describe the treatment methods of ebola

Answer 25

treatment includes rehydration orally or via intravenous fluids to avoid death from dehydration, which is often caused by diarrhoea.

they was also drugs made to act like natural antibodies to prevent a virus from replicating.

these treatment drugs were used in conjunction with a vaccination rollout which was approved in 2019

Question 26

how does ebola effect the economy

Answer 26

trade and transportation

reduced tourism

Decreased agricultural production

Decreased mining activity

fewer investors

higher unemployment

Question 27

how does ebola effect the social aspect

Answer 27

The consequence of ebola might include social unrest, a breakdown in social norms, and disruption in social life.

In addition, other services, especially preventive care at the community level can suffer. This exposes entire communities to other health challenges.

Another consequence is that people’s social lives are disrupted. For example, funeral processes are sometimes banned and other social activities and festivities restricted.

Question 28

how does the environment effect ebola

Answer 28

The threat of Ebola outbreaks across Africa will increase as levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rise,

a raising atmosphere temperature will mean that bats, one of the known causes of the disease will be able to find more food and therefore be more prominent which will lead to more of them getting eaten which in turn leads to more ebola cases

Question 29

where did ebola original start from

Answer 29

it first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara, Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Question 30

how many outbreaks have they been

Answer 30

at least 30 since 1976

Question 31

how many outbreaks occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Answer 31

12 outbreaks

Question 32

why was the spread of ebola hard to contain in the DRC

Answer 32

at the time of the the outbreak a large amount of armed conflict was occurring in the DRC

Question 33

what was the scale of spatial impact In the DRC

Answer 33

it has covered over 47 health zones across North Kivu and Inure provinces had recorded cases of Ebola

Question 34

what was the initial case of the outbreak in the DRC

Answer 34

it was believed to be an unsafe burial of an infected 65 year old women

seven members of her family died shortly after

Question 35

what was the magnitude of the outbreak in DRC

Answer 35

it infected 3,470 people and caused 2287 deaths. The outbreak was officially declared on June 25, 2020

Question 36

what was the duration of this outbreak

Answer 36

it was characterised by the 22 month outbreak period or the typical duration of infection for an individual, which is around two weeks

Question 37

what is the frequency of the ebola outbreak in DRC

Answer 37

high frequency of an ebola occurring

DRC has experienced 12 outbreaks since Ebola was first discovered in 1976

Question 38

what caused a higher probability of ebola occurring in DRC

Answer 38

conflict

affected a disproportionate number of women, representing two-thirds of cases

children were also overrepresented, making up 30 percent of all cases

these factors increased the probability of EBola occurring in DRC

Question 39

explain how the conflict in North kiva in the DRC impacted ebola

Answer 39

the impact of increased levels of political unrest and violence has also meant that providing medical support and healthcare has been restricted, therefore intensifying the impacts and number of infections

as well as there being security constraints for healthcare workers, which means the typical response for ebola containment, such as contact tracing, is difficult

healthcare centers have also been damaged and closed.

Question 40

is their any other diseases in the DRC

Answer 40

it has an ongoing epidemic of measles

other diseases that occurs in this area are malaria, yellow fever, typhoid, influenza, and dengue fever

Question 41

what is the role if women in the DRC

Answer 41

the women in DRC usually stay home to cook, clean, and look after sick family members. they often don’t take them to get real medical help as it shows a failure on the mother’s part to care for the ill.

these chances increase the chances of women getting ebola over males

Question 42

cultural practices in DRC

Answer 42

many people that were infected visited traditional practitioners for treatment. these practitioners were not aware of the dangers of ebola and the protective gear that was required

traditional burial practices involved cleaning of the decreased, which leads to transmission

Question 43

social impacts of ebola effecting children in DRC

Answer 43

children who lost parents to ebola often became isolated or abandoned. more than 2100 children were orphaned or left unaccompanied because of ebola.

lots of schools were closed as they were in high-risk areas. this affected the education of 2 million children. They were also very little education about the viruses and teachers did not have any knowledge to share.

Question 44

social impacts of ebola effecting women in DRC

Answer 44

the women leaders got taught by women from the Collectif de association feminine (CAF)

Question 45

social impacts of ebola effecting political instability in DRC

Answer 45

an estimated 1.2 million people could not vote in the 2018 presidential election in the DRC because of the Ebola outbreak

protest, therefore, took place as voters thought ebola was an excuse to exclude them from the vote and influence the election outcome.

Question 46

social impacts of ebola affecting the treatment of health workers in DRC

Answer 46

distrust of contact tracers and healthcare workers caused safety issues as well as the destruction of treatment sites

between January to July 2019, there were 198 attacks against healthcare facilities or workers, which significantly increased from the previous six months

Question 47

lessons for COVID-19

Answer 47

because the DRC has outbreaks all the time, there are now common practices that have been put in place to slow the movement of the viruses.

these include, contact tracing, isolation, close contacts

Question 48

economic impacts of ebola effecting DRC

Answer 48

ebola has affected the economy of the DRC in several different ways, including

less trade and transportation 
high unemployment  
reduced terrisum 
decreased agriculture production 
decreased mining 
fewer investors 
high fiscal impact 
high unemployment 

many farmers fled or avoided harvesting due to a fear of transmission, and many house holds reported a loss of income.

border closures to avoid the movement of Ebola into other countries can have a significant impact on the country and can make market prices to fluctuate, as they are over 90,000 people crossing the border between Rwanda and DRC each year. The trade between these counties is also valued at around 100 million.

Another economic impact is that the WHO only received 50 per cent of its required 140 million funding. being unfunded meant that aid could not be provided at the required standard, resulting in further transmission that could have been prevented.

Question 49

environmental impacts of ebola that occured in the DRC

Answer 49

the western lowland gorilla was impacted by ebola in previous outbreaks. during ebola social dynamics changed, with females transferring from breeding to non-breeding groups.

males were observed to move from social groups to become solo

these changes impact birth rates as it is estimated to take six years for the social dynamics and population growth to return to pre-ebola outbreak levels

we can therefore say that over these 6 years a reduced amount of lowland gorillas were present in the environment and considering their are only around 100,000 of them left it means that this sort of absentence has a big impact on the population.

Question 50

treatment/prevention measures of ebola

Answer 50

treatment for ebola generally looks like supportive care, similar to treatment of covid 19.

treatment includes rehydration orally or via intravenous fluids to avoid death from dehydration, which is often caused by diarrhea

prevention methods for ebola include hand washing and avoiding physical contact with someone who may be infected with Ebola or the body of someone who died from ebola.

Question 51

mitigation strategy one: vaccinations

Answer 51

there are currently two licenced Ebola vaccines.

ervebo was approved for use in November 2019 and can protect those from the zaire Ebolavirus. A second, two dose vaccination was recommended in may 2020 to be delivered, called Zadbeno and Mvabea, for use in anyone aged one year and older.

these two doses are delivered eight weeks apart, making them less suitable during an outbreak where immediate protection is needed.

agencies have been stockpiling the Ervebo vaccine in preparation for future outbreaks

Question 52

background on the vaccines

Answer 52

the Ervebo vaccine has been administered to more than 350,000 people in both Guinea and the DRC.

the vaccination process uses the ring vaccination design.

due to covid 19 they is a shortage of vaccines available

the vaccination process has gradually improved and adapted to suit the needs of local populations based on cultural beliefs in some regions

for example in areas where people feel threated for receiving a vaccine, pop up vaccination sites are set up at health posts instead of near homes of those infected with ebola.

more frequently, the WHO has recruited and trained Congolese nationals from Ebola-affected regions to deliver vaccinations.

due to the lack of road networks in the DRC authorities are having to utilise other means of transport such as motorcycles and canoes in an effort to treat and vaccinate those with ebola.

Question 53

what is the second approuch to ring strategy

Answer 53

a second approach has been introduced of those at high risk of contracting Ebola.

the strategy is called a targeted geographic vaccination where whole villages or neighbourhoods are vaccinated instead of close contacts

this strategy successfully prevented an outbreak from spreading to Chow in south Kivu where over 90 per cent of the population who were offered a vaccination accepted it

Question 54

preparedness strategy two: testing and treatment

Answer 54

WHO is heavly involved in supporting countreis that are at high risk of ebola. it works with countries to make preparedness plans and maintain surveillance for Ebola virus cases.

Question 55

what machine is used to collect and test samples of ebola

Answer 55

a GeneXpert machine

Question 56

what training took place in the DRC

Answer 56

laboratory technicians received training from the WHO. the training was on safely collecting and testing samples of possible ebola cases. the benefit of accurate testing facilities means that local provinces and health workers can provide a rapid response

this training improved testing facilities meant that over 250,000 contacts were registered, over 220,000 samples were tested, and over 303,000 people were vaccinated during the 2018-2020

Question 57

what were traditional healers trained in

Answer 57

training of traditional healers in order to integrate traditional ways of treating the sick with the skills to identify Ebola and control infection and spread.

simples changes such as using protective equipment and protective clothing were difficult to implement but have been important in preparing for future outbreaks

traditional healers have been trained in triage so that suspected patients are sent to ebola centers. This accommodation means that possible infected patients can avoid the negative effects of being treated near their home, preventing the risk of infection within the village

healers were invited to local health meetings with the officials. they were also trained in reporting deaths or concerns to the relevant authorities for a swift response to limit the spread of ebola.

Question 58

what other preparedness process is suggested

Answer 58

the CDC have suggested early surveillance as a key part of the preparedness plan.

survallience includes: monitoring outbreaks in non-human primates, as they often precede ebola ebola outbreaks in humans or coincide.

for example, before and during an outbreak in Gabon in 2001, 64 dead antelope, chimpanzee and gorillas were discovered, which was helpful to prepare for the outbreak

Question 59

when did the Ebola virus in the DRC start and end

Answer 59

2018-2020