NURS4115 Assignment: Epidemiology in Public and Global Health

Epidemiology in Public and Global Health
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Introduction
Understanding the disease Ebola
The Ebola virus happens to be one of the most lethal viruses on earth today. It’s outbreak in some of the West African countries brought a further strain to the health sector that is already struggling. Panic and confusion are the examples of what is seen in the medical fraternity when qualified physicians watch patients die helplessly and there is nothing they can do to help. Though the virus is extremely dangerous, its symptoms are similar to those of common flu or fever which are less dangerous (Fitzmaurice, 2018). The disease was discovered in 1976 in Africa and is associated with the following symptoms strong headaches, chills, fever, pain in the muscles and joint and general body weaknesses. Due to the similarity of the symptoms with those of fever, many patients fail to seek any form of treatment and the disease progresses further. Once the first signs are over what follows includes diarrhea, nausea with vomiting, pain in the chest and stomach, red eyes and rashes in all parts of the body, weight loss and finally loss of blood from the external and internal organs.
The Ebola virus is passed on from one person to the other by coming into contact with infected blood or other waste products which are infected too. The main entry points for the disease include the mouth, nose, open wounds, eyes, abrasions and cuts. The Ebola virus can survive for several days in fluids which are found outside the body. For that reason, the disease is likely to spread quickly to a level that cannot be managed easily. Only 10% of the infected persons can survive. It, therefore, means that Ebola is one of the diseases that have a high mortality rate in the world. Individuals in the medical fraternity together with other like-minded individuals need to come up with a permanent cure for the disease because it is the only of making sure that lives are not lost.
The Epidemiological Triangle for Ebola
The Agent Factor
The Ebola virus comprises a single-stranded negative RNA linear genome. The genotype encodes seven genes in total and is between 18-20 kb in dimension. The five inborn Ebola viruses include the Sudan Ebola virus, Zaire Ebola virus, Tai forest Ebola virus, Reston Ebola virus and finally the Bundibugyo Ebola virus. The five Ebola genomes differ in number, sequence, and location of gene overlaps (Heymann, 2015). The Reston Ebola virus is what causes the disease in all nonhuman primates, while the Zaire Ebola virus poses a danger to both animals and humans. The remaining three are responsible for the Ebola Hemorrhagic fever.
The Host Factor
People of all ages and sex have equal chances of attracting the disease. Some cultural practices contribute to the spread of the disease and they include the hunting and consumption of infected animals. The disease further spreads from one person to the other through bodily fluids. Traditional burials give room to the spread of the disease because they allow the living to come into direct contact with the dead. The viruses are...