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The most revealing aspect I learned about Ebola Virus Disease, is the fatality rate which is on average 50%, but in past outbreaks has been between 25-90%. The fatality rate is defined as the proportion of deaths in a population due to a certain disease. Having a high fatality rate can indicate that a disease is very severe and can be difficult to treat. I found this to be interesting because this is considered a high rate when comparing it to a disease like COVID-19 which is ~2%.

Something that I learned about this disease that surprised me was the transmission of this disease between people, which is direct contact with blood or body fluids of a person who is sick or has EVD. I found this interesting because I originally thought that Ebola was airborne. I also learned that the CDC helped West Africa a lot during the outbreak in 2014 by sending out a response team to help officials and healthcare workers in West Africa combat this disease.

When coming across my research I saw a lot of articles that were comparing the Ebola virus to COVID-19, not only comparing the diseases' but also comparing the response from officials and the population's perception of the disease as well. I think it would be interesting for a Padlet assignment to compare the disease we chose to COVID-19, and how our disease outbreak shaped how we responded to COVID-19.

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The Ebola virus not only had physical effects but also societal and sociological impacts as well. The disease spread panic, fear, and uncertainty throughout the world. Infection prevention was implemented to help reduce the spread of EVD, which is something that was new for many people. Measures were taken to ensure that individuals who were affected were isolated to reduce the spread. There was also mistrust between the people and officials, as traditional burials were implemented without relatives' consent, which is a sacred cultural tradition. This mistrust caused people to not adhere to preventative measures. From EVD, society learned the importance of infection prevention and control as well as adopting safe practices. We also learned the importance of communication and having the trust of communities and how that can play a role in slowing/stopping the spread.  What we learned from Ebola was a valuable lesson for addressing future disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4709130/

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Due to weak surveillance systems and poor public health infrastructure, Ebola Virus Diseases quickly spread to Guinea's bordering countries. In July 2014, CDC personnel deployed to West Africa to assist with response efforts, such as surveillance, contact tracing, data management, laboratory testing, and health education. Laboratory capacities for testing were also increased.  Healthcare workers in West Africa were also trained in infection prevention and control practices. The outbreak of 2014-2016 was eventually contained due to engaging local leaders in prevention programs and policy implementation at the national and global levels. These countries were not prepared to deal with Ebola Virus and did not anticipate for it to spread as it did. Officials could have implemented measures sooner which could have potentially slowed the spread. Healthcare workers were also not trained to deal with something like this and did not have the resources necessary to combat this disease. Leadership officials should have taken initiative sooner by implementing policies to stop EVD from spreading to neighboring countries.

https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/2014-2016-outbreak/index.html

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During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to assist with disease control activities. CDC personnel deployed to West Africa assisted with response efforts such as surveillance, contact tracing, data management, labatory testing, and health education. The CDC also helped with staffing, communication, logistics, and management. To help combat this disease and prevent cross-border transmission, travelers leaving West Africa were screened at airports. This helped to identify who may have Ebola and avoid the potential spread. Innovative technology was used in West Africa such as Open Data Kit and Form Hub, which significantly controled the outbreak and contaimination of the disease, by idenitifying those infected.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4482726/
https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/2014-2016-outbreak/index.html

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Virulence is defined as the ability of a microorganism to cause damage to its host. Ebola is considered a highly virulent pathogen that is frequently lethal. The virulence of the Ebola Virus has not changed over time and studies show that it is unlikely to decrease long-term for West African strains.

https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/virulence

Sofonea, M.T., Aldakak, L., Boullosa, L.F.V.V. and Alizon, S. (2018), Can Ebola virus evolve to be less virulent in humans?. J. Evol. Biol., 31: 382-392. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13229

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Map of Ebola Hit Countried from 1976-2016

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The first outbreak of Ebola occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo formerly known as Zaire. The second outbreak occurred in South Sudan. Since 1976, when first discovered, the majority of cases and outbreaks have occurred in Africa. It was not until 2014-2016 that there was a major Ebola outbreak in West Africa that began in a rural setting, in southeastern Guinea, and eventually spread to urban areas and across borders. In 2014, the CDC confirmed the first travel-associated case of the Ebola virus. In 2014, when the virus was declared as an outbreak, there were 49 confirmed cases and 29 deaths. Two and a half years later in 2016, the outbreak had ended with more than 28,600 cases and 11,325 deaths. Attached is a picture of the number of cases and deaths where ebola had been detected from the 2014-2016 outbreak.

Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/2014-2016-outbreak/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/summaries.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/2014-2016-outbreak/index.html

map provided by
Ebola Virus – Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Control: Threat to Humans, Lessons Learnt and Preparedness Plans - An Update on its 40 Year’s Journey

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Ebola was first detected in 1976 in different parts of Central Africa. The first outbreak was in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) near the Ebola River. The second outbreak occurred in now South Sudan. The suspected infectious agent is Ebolavirus, part of the virus family Filoviridae. Ebola is an infectious disease. Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by germs (viruses) that enter the body, multiply and cause an infection.

https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/summaries.html

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An infectious agent, of the family Filovirdae, genus Ebolavirus, causes Ebola. The scientific name is Filoviruses (Filovirdae) and the common name is ebola.

https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/virus-families/filoviridae.html

https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/ebola-information