Ebola historical perspective
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Michael Maddaleni, B.S., Guillermo Rodriguez Nava, M.D. [2]
Overview
The Ebola virus was named after the Ebola River Valley in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaïre), near the site of a 1976 outbreak at a mission run by Flemish nuns.[1] Since the initial discovery of the virus, five subtypes have subsequently been identified.
Historical Perspective
Discovery
- The Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 following outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Zaire and Sudan.
- The fist description of ebola virus disease was made by Ngoy Mushola, who reocrded the first case in Yambuku town in Zaire. In Dr. Mushola's daily log, he stated
| “ | The illness is characterized with a high temperature of about 39°C, hematemesis [the vomiting of blood], diarrhea with blood, retrosternal abdominal pain, prostration with "heavy" articulations, and rapid evolution death after a mean of three days... | ” |
- The virus was named after the Ebola river located in the town Yambuku, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
- The first outbreaks occurred almost simultaneously in Sudan on June - November 1976 due to the so-called Sudan ebolavirus and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) on August - November 1976 due the so-called Ebola Zaire.
- The table below summarizes the ebola virus strains that have been historically identified:
| Ebola Virus Strain | Place of Discovery | Date Identified |
|---|---|---|
| Sudan ebolavirus | Nzara and Maridi, Sudan | Between June and November 1976 |
| Zaire ebolavirus | Yambuku, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Between August and November 1976 |
| Reston ebolavirus | Reston, Virginia, US. | November 1989 |
| Ivory Coast ebolavirus | Tai Forest, Ivory Coast. | November 1994 |
| Bundibugyo ebolavirus | Bundibugyo District, Uganda | November 2007 |
Notable Cases
- Nurse Mayinga N'Seka was the index case in an Ebola epidemic in Democratic Republic of the Congo and may represent the only case of airborne ebola virus infection.
- The non-fatal case of a Swiss 34-year-old female ethologist, in the Taï National Park, Ivory Coast, was due to an infection by what was later recognized as a new strain of ebola virus. She contracted the disease after she performed a necropsy on a chimpanzee found dead with signs of hemorrhage.[2]
Bioterrorism
A potential risk associated with the Ebola virus is bioterrorism. Ebola does not have a vaccine, therefore it would be a good candidate for a major bioterrorist attack. Given the fact that Ebola is lethal and has no approved vaccine or treatment, it is classified as a Biosafety Level 4 agent, as well as a Category A bioterrorism agent[3] and a select agent by the CDC.
References
- ↑ Bardi, Jason Socrates (2002). "Death Called a River". Scribbs Research Institute. 2 (1). Retrieved 2006-12-08.
- ↑ Formenty P, Hatz C, Le Guenno B, Stoll A, Rogenmoser P, Widmer A (1999). "Human infection due to Ebola virus, subtype Côte d'Ivoire: clinical and biologic presentation". J Infect Dis. 179 Suppl 1: S48–53. doi:10.1086/514285. PMID 9988164.
- ↑ Hoenen, Thomas (2006). "Ebola virus: unravelling pathogenesis to combat a deadly disease". Trends in Molecular Medicine. 12 (5): 206–215. doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2006.03.006. Unknown parameter
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