I want you all to sit back and picture this; this winter you get the common flu, fever, persistent vomiting, and diarrhea spewing and flowing out of you like hot lava. You think “nah this is nothing too bad I can wait it out”. But WEEKS down the road your symptoms get substantially worse, and one day you wake up and you’re bleeding from your eyes and coughing up blood. Alright it’s time to see the doctor. You go in, the doctor examines you, takes some swabs and leaves…for a long time.
When he finally returns he is wearing a mask, gloves, and a body suit. In a muffled tone he says, Ebola…you are infected with Ebola. Today I am going to be informing all you guys about Ebola; I will cover where it originally came from and what it came from, the symptoms, and how to prevent yourself from getting the virus. I have learned a lot about this topic because my step mom works in the medical field, which has offered me with a lot of information about the subject.
Also, this topic is extremely relevant to all of us since it spreads so fast, there’s no known cure, and there recently has been outbreaks of Ebola within the United States. First I am going to be educating you about where Ebola actually originated and what it came from. According to LiveScience. com experts and doctors say that the deadly virus originally sprouted from bats.
The first Ebola outbreaks occurred in 1976 in which two cases happened simultaneously. One person was from Sudan and the other was from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Researchers looking for the origins of the virus have sampled more than 1,000 small animals all over the area of Sudan, many of which have been small terrestrial vertebrate animals. But, as crazy as it is, scientists found that only 1 animal harbored the virus…bats.
Specifically three kinds of fruit bats; The Hammer-headed bat, the Franquets Epauletted bat, and the Little Collared bat. The World Health Organization stated that the main way people (within first outbreak areas) are initially becoming infected with the virus is by handling these bats: which are eaten for food. But, you don’t necessarily get the virus from consumption of eating the bat. Biological researcher Derek Gatherer said the virus would most likely be killed during the cooking process but, he did say handling the raw meat (with blood and juices) is an extremely risky way of getting the disease.
Like I said earlier the initial outbreaks of Ebola in 1976 occurred in Sudan and its close neighbor the Republic of Congo. Recently outbreaks of Ebola that we’ve heard about have occurred in West Africa, specifically Guinea. Researchers in Guinea are currently testing fruit bats to see if they are carrying the virus. Since the recent outbreak, Guinea took the steps of banning the consumption and sale of bats. We are still currently waiting to see if the bats specifically from Guinea are carrying the Ebola virus.
Ok you guys have heard about what Ebola sprouted from and where, let’s now move onto the symptoms that come with the wonderful virus. The symptoms of this virus are similar to those of numerous hemorrhagic fever viruses. Which are basically flu-like symptoms- such as fever, fatigue, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, and so on. This is a scary time of year, especially because during fall and winter season people get flu and cold symptoms like this all the time. But, after those initial symptoms occur and the virus progresses, worse symptoms begin popping up.
According to Medicinenet. com persistent hiccups begin, chest pain, problems swallowing or breathing, and bleeding from your eyes, nose, and mouth…. gross I know. These are only a few of the progressive symptoms that take place. Lastly, I am going to inform you guys about ways to help prevent yourself from getting the virus. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are numerous preventative steps you can take, but I am only going to talk about a couple. The first, avoid areas of known outbreaks. If you are planning on studying abroad, doing a mission trip, or whatever it may be…avoid the known outbreak areas (Guinea, Texas).
Second, wash your hands! Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Wash your hands frequently; this is the most preventative step you can take to protect yourself against any virus. Don’t try and sneak out of the bathroom while people are still in the stalls, without washing your hands…. ladies. In conclusion, I have presented you guys with a lot of information about the Ebola virus. I have informed you about where it originated and from what, symptoms, and steps to keeping yourself Ebola free. So if anyone you know starts bleeding from their eyes, nose, or mouth, you better tell them to get that S*&# checked out!