Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers at Anti Essays

A virus is an ultramicroscopic infectious organism that, having no independent metabolic activity, can replicate only

within a cell of another host organism. A virus consists of a core of nucleic acid, either RNA or DNA, surrounded

by a coating of antigenic protein and sometimes a lipid layer surrounds it as well. The virus provides the genetic

code for replication, and the host cell provides the necessary energy and raw materials. There are more than 200

viruses that are know to cause disease in humans. The Ebola virus, which dates back to 1976, has four strains each

from a different geographic area, but all give their victims the same painful, often lethal symptoms.

The Ebola virus is a member of a family of RNA viruses known as ‘Filoviriade' and falling under one genus,

‘Filovirus'. "The Ebola virus and Marburg virus are the two known members of the Filovirus family" (Journal of the

American Medical Association 273: 1748). Marburg is a relative of the Ebola virus. The four strains of Ebola are

Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan, Ebola Reston, and Ebola Tai. Each is named after the geographical location in which it

was discovered. These filoviruses cause hemorrhagic fever, which is actually what kill victims of the Ebola virus.

Hemorrhagic fever as defined in Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary as, a group of viral

aerosol infections, characterized by fever, chills, headache, malaise, and respiratory or GI symptoms, followed by

capillary hemorrhages, and, in severe infection, oliguria, kidney failure, hypotension, and, possibly, death. The

incubation period for Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever ranges from 2-21 days (JAMA 2!

73: 1748). The blood fails to clot and patients may bleed from injections sites and into the gastrointestinal tract, skin
...