BIOLOGY PROJECT

Ebola Virus
AN EMERGING
PANDEMIC

SUBMITTED BY
Mr.Marwan.k.m
CLASS XII
ROLL NO[2015-2016]

General information
Title Of The Project : Ebola Virus
Performed By : Marwan.k.m
Roll Number :
Class : XII
Guide : Mrs.Ammini
Date Of Submission :

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, I heartily thank my Biology
Teacher, Mrs. Ammini for her incomparable
efforts, support and constant cooperation
indeed towards me in the completion of this
project. She has also been the vital source of
encouragement for me throughout the
working of this project.
Finally I would also grateful to my friends
and parents who devoted their auspicious
time in completion of this project.
Marwan.
k.m

Preface
Biology is the study of life in its entirely. The growth of biology as
a natural science is interesting from many points of view. This
project is meant to describe about the basic information, origin,
cure, and different aspects of Ebola Virus. One may notice a
perceptible change in writing style. Most of the topics are written
in an easy dialogue style engaging the readers constantly and
included with more informatics comments.
I assure you to go through this project thoroughly to know a
bit more and facts about Ebola virus disease.

INDE
X
Sl.
No.

Topic

Page
no.

1.

Introduction

Outbreak & Impact

11

3.

Transmission Route

12

4.

WHO Response

13

5.

Statistics by WHO

14

6.

Symptoms and Cure

15

7.

Prevention

16

8.

What India Can Do?

17

9.

Conclusion

18

10.

Bibliography

19

IntroductIon
The past two decades have seen this world experiencing, with
alarming regularity, outbreaks of viral diseases like Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), bird flu and swine flu.
These have caused alarm spread panic not only in populations
that are directly affected but also in places away from the
locations of these outbreaks; the recent re-emergence of Ebola
Virus, for example has underscored the fact that humans are
increasingly and continuously at risk from life threatening viral
diseases, and that the unexpected can be expected anytime.
These emerging infectious diseases that occur in most parts are
generally connected with a rapid growth in population. Human
activities like changes in land use, increased urbanization and
high population densities in cities, increased contact with wild
animal reservoirs, climate change and deterioration in healthcare systems, particularly in developing and poor countries are
the major causes.
Ebola is a rare disease caused by one of five virus strains
found in Several African countries. There is no cure or vaccine
against it. And the largest Ebola outbreak in history is
currently spinning out of control in West Africa.
Increased human mobility and connectivity have radically
changed the way in which emerging infectious diseases spread
across regions and across the world. India is at risk and it is only
a matter of time before cases of Ebola appear in the continent
(45,000 Indians are estimated to be living in the affected
regions of West Africa).
The Indian government has some plans to ward off an Ebola
outbreak. But the Ebola epidemic also demands that swift and
decisive action be taken in support of affected countries.

Airborne transmission has not been documented during EVD

outbreaks. They are, however, infectious as breathable 0.8-m
to 1.2-m laboratory-generated droplets. The virus has been
shown to travel, without

contact, from pigs to primates, although the same study failed

to demonstrate similar transmission between non-human
primates.

Bats are considered the natural reservoir of the EBOV, plants,

arthropods, and birds were also considered. Bats were known to
reside in the cotton factory in which the first cases for the 1976
and 1979 outbreaks were employed, and they have also been
implicated in Marburg virus infections in 1975 and 1980. Of 24
plant species and 19 vertebrate species experimentally
inoculated with EBOV, only bats became infected. The absence
of clinical signs in these bats is characteristic of a reservoir
species. In a 20022003 survey of 1,030 animals including 679
bats from Gabon and The Republic of the Congo, 13 fruit bats
were found to contain EBOV RNA fragments.
One of the primary reasons for spread is that the health
systems in the part of Africa where the disease occurs function
poorly. Medical workers who do not wear appropriate
protective clothing may contract the disease. Hospital acquired
transmission has occurred in African countries due to the reuse
of needles and lack of universal precautions. Some health care
centers caring for people with the disease do not have running
water.

In 1976, when Peter Piot, a young Belgian microbiologist,

was sent to investigate an outbreak of a mysterious virus in a
remote part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (then
Zaire), he could never have predicted how the new pathogen
that he viewed through his microscope would change his life
nor the devastation it would cause nearly four decades later.
Almost four decades ago, Peter Piot was part of the team that discovered the Ebola
virus

Peter Piot, second from left, on site in Yambuku during the first Ebola outbreak in 1976.

Nearly 40 years after his discovery, made when he was only 27, Professor Piot is one of the foremost experts in

the never-ending war against infectious disease. He was the founding director of Unaids, the joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/Aids, a position he held from 1995 to 2008.

Outbreak & Impact

The current outbreak of Ebola virus in some West African
countries is
unprecedented and seems to have spun out of control. What
started in three of the poorest countries in West Africa Guinea,
Liberia and Sierra Leone already ravaged by political turmoil
and civil war, has now spread beyond their borders. The
epidemic which the World Health Organization (WHO) says has
affected more than a million humans. Although officially reported
cases are between
2,000-3,000.
In the current outbreak, the first reported case was that of a
two-year-old boy who died on December 6, 2013, which was
soon followed by deaths of his other family members. By the
end of March 2014, the disease had erupted in many locations
and the outbreak was termed as unprecedented. By end July,
it had caused widespread panic, fear and disruption, including
steps that led to the closure of borders between the affected
countries. The death of a nurse in Lagos, Nigeria, on August 6
and, since then, has added an entirely different
dimension to this extraordinary health threat.

After an incubation period of 2 20 days, the Ebola infection

shows a sudden
onset of the disease resulting initially in flu-like symptoms:
fever, chills and malaise. As the disease progresses, it results in
multi-system involvements indicated by the person

experiencing lethargy, nausea, diarrhea and headache.

Haemorrhagic conditions usually set in at its peak, resulting in
uncontrolled bleeding, shock, convulsions and severe metabolic
disorders. Fatal clinical signs come up early, with death
occurring within about two weeks. In non-fatal cases the fever
resolves itself and is generally co-antibody response,
suggesting and possibility of a protective mechanism.

TRANSMISSION
ROUTE
The African fruit bat (of the Pteropodidae family) is
considered to be the natural host for the Ebola viruses as
well as the major source of human infections.
The chimpanzee, gorilla, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope
and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest can also
carry the virus and can infect humans [wildlife-to-human
transmission].
Whereas Chimpanzee and gorillas are merely accidental
hosts and not the natural reservoirs.
Close contact with bats is considered to be the major reason.
Ebola spreads through human-to-human transmission via
direct contact (through broken skin or mucous
membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other
bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and
materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these
fluids.
Indirect contact with environments contaminated with such
fluids.
Close contact with infected dead persons can also cause the
infection.
People remain infectious as long as their blood and body
fluids, including semen and breast milk, contain the virus.
Men who have recovered from the disease can still
transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks
after recovery from illness.

 It doesnt spreads through air like flu viruses.

Who response
WHO aims to prevent Ebola outbreaks by maintaining
surveillance for Ebola virus disease and supporting at-risk
countries to developed preparedness plans. The document
provides overall guidance for control of Ebola and Marburg virus
outbreaks.
When an outbreak is detected WHO responds by supporting
surveillance, community engagement, case management,
laboratory services, contact tracing, infection control, logistical
support and training and assistance with safe burial practices.
WHO has developed detailed advice on Ebola infection
prevention and control :

StatiSticS by Who

SymptomS & cure

Over time, symptoms become increasingly severe and may
include:
Nausea and vomiting
Fever (greater than 38.6C or 101.5F)
Diarrhea (may be bloody)
Red eyes
Raised rash
Chest pain and cough
Stomach pain
Severe weight loss
Bleeding, usually from the eyes, and bruising (people near
death may bleed
from other orifices, such as ears, nose and rectum).

No FDA-approved vaccine or medicine (e.g., antiviral drug) is

available for Ebola.
Symptoms of Ebola are treated as they appear. The following
basic
interventions, when used early, can significantly improve the
chances of survival:
Providing intravenous fluids (IV)and balancing electrolytes
(body salts)
Maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure
Maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure

Experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola are under

development, but they have not yet been fully tested for
safety or effectiveness.

Prevention
If we travel to or are in an area affected by an Ebola outbreak,
then following measures should be taken:
Practice careful hygiene. For example, wash your hands
with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and
avoid contact with blood and body fluids.
Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an
infected
persons blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding,
needles, and medical equipment).
Avoid funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body
of someone
who has died from Ebola.
Avoid contact with bats and nonhuman primates or blood,
fluids, and raw meat prepared from these animals.
Avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated.
The U.S. embassy or consulate is often able to provide
advice on facilities.
After you return, monitor your health for 21 days and
seek medical care immediately if you develop symptoms
for Ebola.
If we travel to or are in an area affected by an Ebola outbreak,
then following measures should be taken:
Wear protective clothing, including masks, gloves,
gowns, and eye protection.
Practice proper infection control and sterilization measures.
Notify health officials if you have had direct contact with
the blood or body fluids, such as but not limited to, feces,

saliva, urine, vomit, and semen of a person who is sick

with Ebola. The virus can enter the body through broken
skin or unprotected mucous membranes in, for example,
the eyes, nose, or mouth

WHAT INDIA CAN

DO?
India, too, can contribute to global efforts to quell the
Ebola crisis. It has a large cadre of epidemiologists,
laboratory scientists, doctors and nurses who are
experienced in epidemic control and can help support
diagnosis, the training of health workers, or clinical
services in Ebola treatment units. It also has a large
number of social mobilisers who have proved their abilities
in health campaigns such as the polio eradication
campaign. They could contribute their experiences in
community empowerment (one of the cornerstones of the
Ebola response), address rumours and fears and help
communities regain trust in the humanitarian response.
These resources are waiting to be mobilised, both to help
contain the crisis in West Africa and to ensure that India is
prepared for a possible Ebola emergency in the near
future.
By stepping decisively into the fray, India will signal that it
stands with
other world powers in the front line of the global fight
against Ebola as well as other emerging infectious
diseases. It is only when the outbreak is controlled in West
Africa that nations will have done all they could to protect
their own citizens from a possible outbreak of Ebola on
their shores.

INTERVIEW
Dr Mohanan, Associate professor in community medicine at Calicut Medical
College talks about how the spread of the Ebola virus can be checked and whether
India is equipped to take on the challenge.
Excerpts from the interview:
How can we better prepare ourselves to deal with scare of an Ebola outbreak?
It is important to first understand a little bit about the epidemiology of this
virus. Ebola is a viral disease like Dengue and Chikungunya. The preliminary
symptoms are very much like the flu. For instance, you'll have a high fever,
headaches, body ache. And it can also lead to haemorrhaging tendencies, where
you start to bleed from different parts of the body. It can further lead to a shocklike state and ultimately death.
The problem with this virus is that the case-fatality rate is very high. That is, if
there are 100 people who are suffering from this viral disease, 90 out of them will
eventually die.
There two reasons that.
First, the period of infection is very small. Within two to 14 days, anyone who is
exposed to it will get it. And two, a country like India does not have any history
of his virus and if this virus is imported in any form or there is an indigenous
outbreak, people will not have immunity against it.
They have not been exposed to this virus earlier so their body does not have

immunity against it. As I have said, because the case-fatality rate is very high,
the morbidity and mortality rate will be very high.
Now, how is Ebola transmitted? It spreads via body fluids saliva, sweat,
semen, blood and physical contact. The risk of exposure to those who are
handling Ebola cases, health care workers, for instance, is very high.

And when a patient dies and the body is being cremated or buried, at that stage
too, the infection can be transmitted.
What we need to do is try and stop importation of the virus into India and if there
is importation, we should be able to isolate and quarantine such a patient. The
best way to do that is put check points at the entry points like airports and sea
ports. For some time, people should avoid non-urgent travel to West African
countries and to the Middle East. This will minimize risk of importation.
Eventually, the mortality and morbidity will wane off like in the case of Swine
Flu because the population will start developing immunity.
Are there any symptoms that distinguish an Ebola flu from a normal flu?
It starts of like a normal flu. Headaches, fever, cough. In the case of Ebola,
however, the symptoms won't subside despite medication. Then within a period of
two-three days, you'll begin to have joint pains. Then you may develop rashes
leading to bleeding from the nose or other sides of the body. It could eventually
lead to a
shock-like situation and organ-failure and ultimately death.
The best bet is to ensure prevention. If you can't prevent, isolate and quarantine
so that it does not spread to others, especially to health care professionals.
Does Ebola treatment require specialised care? Is India equipped to
provide the necessary care?
The treatment stays the same. It is conservative treatment. Isolate the patient,
maintain blood parameters, maintain blood pressure and so on. So Internal
Medicine specialists will be equipped to provide care to the patient. The
problems arise when complications set in. And for that, what is necessary is an
ICU set-up.

The first and foremost requirement is to isolate the patient. And what is needed are
designated wards. You can't keep an Ebola patient in a normal ICU ward because
the chance of spread of infection is so high.
So you need to have a designated nodal officer, a nodal ward, where
every suspected case is tracked and tested. Till such time as test results come
out, the patient has to be isolated and quarantined.
At present, the government has created a nodal centre at Trivandrum, where any
patient who has Ebola-like symptoms can be tested. The hospital has set up
wards to quarantine such patients.
We also have the National Centre for Disease Control and National Institute of
Virology. So we are equipped.
It is just that half-baked knowledge creates panic. If people are educated well
and they are taught about preventive care, it can be contained.
Should India also make arrangements to procure the experimental drug that
WHO has approved for use to combat the Ebola outbreak?
So far there has not been any confirmed case of Ebola in India. It is my personal
view that if we put our maximum resources on the preventive aspect of disease
we will be alright.
I think the resources and manpower should be more towards the preventive
aspect. Let's make sure that the infection does not come into India. I think that will
be a better investment.
Given India's size and the number of people travelling to and from
Ebola- affected countries, what do you think will be the key challenge
for the government and health professionals in keeping Ebola out?
I think the biggest challenge will be tracking the movement of people.
So far the virus has been seen in three Africa countries. We are also hearing of
cases in the Middle East. I think it is important to educate travellers.
The biggest intervention is when you make people aware of their own health
needs. In India, a lot of people don't know what Ebola is. So we need to educate
travellers and issue directives to avoid Ebola-affected countries. And if you have

to travel, use personal protective measures like wearing gloves and masks.

ConClusion
WHO is supporting the national authorities in the response
to an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD; formerly known
as Ebola Haemorrhagic fever). The outbreak is now
confirmed to be caused by a strain of Ebola virus with very
close homology (98%) to the Zaire Ebola virus. This is the
first time the disease has been detected in West Africa,
though it has not been detected in India.
The current outbreak is sure to subside, though
unfortunately only after consuming many lives. At the same
time, it is bound to reappear somewhere, sometime, and
mostly for man-made reasons. Unfortunately,
it might happen before long. Would the world have learnt
from the present
deadly out-break? If and when Ebola strikes again, would it
be able to deal with it better? Hopefully during the lull,
scientists, researchers, and the industry would treat Ebola
as a common enemy that must be defended with modern
medicine and better health-care infrastructure.
Modernization and development should not become the key
reasons for viruses to take centre stage.

BiBliography
Internet :
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/diagnosis/index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/
http://heavy.com/health/2014/04/ebola-outbreak2014- facts-information-deaths/
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola virus disease
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