Ebola in general rarely infects humans, and when it does , outbreaks tend to be

Question

Ebola in general rarely infects humans, and when it does , outbreaks tend to be small and very localized geographically. What is the different about the 2014 outbreak? Why has is spread so much farther than previous ones? Discuss this in terms of transmission rate and Ro and state specifically what these parameters are. Ebola in general rarely infects humans, and when it does , outbreaks tend to be small and very localized geographically. What is the different about the 2014 outbreak? Why has is spread so much farther than previous ones? Discuss this in terms of transmission rate and Ro and state specifically what these parameters are.

Explanation / Answer

2014 outbreak:

The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting multiple countries in West Africa. There were a small number of cases reported in Nigeria and Mali and a single case reported in Senegal; however, these cases were contained, with no further spread in these countries.

Two imported cases, including one death, and two locally acquired cases in healthcare workers were reported in the United States. CDC and its partners are taking precautions to prevent additional Ebola cases in the United States. CDC is working with other U.S. government agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other domestic and international partners and has activated its Emergency Operations Center to help coordinate technical assistance and control activities with partners. CDC has also deployed teams of public health experts to West Africa and will continue to send experts to the affected countries.

The disease was first identified in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara, and the other in Yambuku, a village near the Ebola River from which the disease takes its name. EVD outbreaks occur intermittently in tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Between 1976 and 2013, the World Health Organization reports a total of 24 outbreaks involving 1,716 cases. The largest outbreak is the ongoing epidemic in West Africa, which affected Liberia and Sierra Leone and still affects Guinea. As of 10 November 2015, this outbreak has 28,635 reported cases resulting in 11,314 deaths.

Ebola spread so much farther than previous ones because, Ebola is going to transition from animals to humans is going to be. But one thing that we could do is look to see how these populations are connected.So, there are some people that use for instance mobile phone data to see how people move within a country. So, if we can identify areas that are very well connected, we could perhaps prioritise those transport nodes as it were to prevent further spread of any infection should it actually occur.

Transmission rate: Ebola disease spreads only by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who has developed symptoms of the disease. Body fluids that may contain Ebola viruses include saliva, mucus, vomit, feces, sweat, tears, breast milk, urine and semen. The WHO states that only people who are very sick are able to spread Ebola disease in saliva, and whole virus has not been reported to be transmitted through sweat. Most people spread the virus through blood, feces and vomit. Entry points for the virus include the nose, mouth, eyes, open wounds, cuts and abrasions. Ebola may be spread through large droplets; however, this is believed to occur only when a person is very sick. This contamination can happen if a person is splashed with droplets. Contact with surfaces or objects contaminated by the virus, particularly needles and syringes, may also transmit the infection. The virus is able to survive on objects for a few hours in a dried state, and can survive for a few days within body fluids outside of a person.

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