Ebola has been around for quite a while, with smaller outbreaks occurring every few years since its discovery. However, the most recent outbreak has been making headlines as it’s quickly become the largest and most deadly outbreak of the disease ever recorded.
Initially, the disease broke out in Ghana, a country in Africa, but it quickly spread to the neighboring countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone. The disease has continued to spread at an alarming rate, infecting well over 3,000 and killing over 2,500 people.
The disease has spread so quickly for a variety of reasons. Chief amongst them are cultural burial practices, social stigmas and the highly infective nature of the disease. Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, including blood, saliva, sweat and semen. Burial rituals require physical contact with the dead, through which bodily fluids are often inadvertently exchanged. These practices are a very important part of African culture, which means that people, especially in rural areas, have been understandably resistant to stop.
It is important for other nations to help to come up with preventative measures and a vaccine for Ebola. When more countries contribute to the quest to end Ebola, the process will go more quickly and the economic burden will be more spread out.
The spread of Ebola has affected how I think of medicine. It worries me that it’s taking so long to make a vaccine, because I’ve always held the unreasonable expectation that medicine can cure any disease. With a 90% fatality rate, Ebola obviously proves my ideal wrong. It also bothers me that there hasn’t been as significant of a push to eradicate Ebola as there would have been had it been in a “First World” country like France or England. Luckily, awareness has been spreading as the reputation of the disease has grown more sinister. No one wants to die after 7 days of constant hiccups, vomiting, rectal bleeding and fever.
For more information, here are some nice links.
WHO: Ebola Virus Facts
Don't Cry for the Lost, SMile for living 
Dear Hayley,
You present such an interesting point of view on the outbreak and give a great description of the history of Ebola. You engage your reader right of the bat with the fact that this is the most deadly outbreak on record. You bring up a great point that the burial practices are a major contributor to the spread of Ebola. I am similar to you in that I always expect medicine to conquer all and that isn’t always the case. I know they have some vaccines in trials, but none have been approved for distribution and use yet.
I’m glad you include some resources at the bottom of your post, but make sure to cite all of your sources through hyperlinking within your post and include proper attribution for your images.
Looking forward to your next post!
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