Model Of Immune Protection Against Ebola Virus example essay topic

Treatment for Ebola There is no cure for the Ebola virus, nor is there a vaccine for protection against it. Since vaccines must be specific to certain strains, it's not likely that a universal for all four vaccines will be produced. There are many factors could lead to an Ebola Epidemic... Here is a list of conditions that could contribute to such a disastrous event. - the presence of animal or insect vectors near a human population; - exposure of the virus to an individual in a remote setting, and the individual returning to a more highly populated area; - poor hygiene and sanitation in a human population, hence increasing the chances of contact with bodily fluid (e.g. excretion from Ebola patients get into sewage system and human contact is common); - decreased immunity level in population; - insufficient public health infrastructure (e.g. hospital facilities); - lack of public education regarding the virus; - poor communication infrastructure (leading to delayed medical response and public notification). The analysis of these conditions has helped many understand when, why and how Ebola disasters strike. Precautions can therefore be taken by following the following preventive measures.

After Ebola spreads through one of the four methods of transmissions, Ebola starts to show its symptoms in the infected. The time between the invasion of Ebola and the appearance of its symptoms is two to twenty - one days. Once Ebola has infected its victim methods of diagnosing should be taken immediately. Diagnosing the Ebola virus may take up to 10 days. The methods used to detect the virus are very slow, compared to how rapid Ebola can kill its victims.

Blood or tissue samples are sent to a high- containment laboratory designed for working with infected substances and are tested for specific antigens, antibodies or the virus's genetic material itself. Recently, a skin test has been developed which can detect infections much faster. A skin biopsy specimen is fixed in a chemical called Formalin e, which kills the virus, and is then safely transported to a lab. It is processed with chemicals and if the dead Ebola virus is present, the specimen will turn bright red. There is no specific treatment against the Ebola virus.

Patients are given intravenous infusions of fluid and electrolytes, but the purpose of these is merely to keep the patient hydrated while his or her immune system attempts to deal with the virus. If it is possible the patients may also be given blood transfusions, however this depends upon there being family members able to donate blood. Their blood must of course first be screened for other viruses such as hepatitis B and HIV. Because the Ebola virus is so virulent these attempts at treatment are not often successful. It follows that all efforts must be made to limit contagion, and this indeed is the major priority of MSF teams working with a disease such as Ebola. The real treatment for the Ebola virus is prevention of the outbreak.

More recent outbreaks have taken fewer lives because health officials have been introduced to these recommended and proper control techniques. - Improving sanitation, hygiene, and health care and education amongst the population. - Quarantining of Ebola patients (this is permitted but not required). - Supervising international travel. - Improving communications for epidemiological education and notification, and coordination of health organizations. - Encouraging hospital personnel to use the patient isolation method called the 'barrier technique', which includes: 1) doctors and nurses wearing protective clothing like masks and gloves, 2) restricting the patients' visitors, 3) sterilization of reusable material, 4) disposing and incineration of disposable material right after their first and only use, and 5) all hard surfaces being cleaned with sanitizing solution.

While these prevention tactics are highly recommended the current stage of research is ongoing. Recently some very breakthrough events have taken place. Michigan medical center A vaccine has been tested on Guinea Pigs in a laboratory in the Michigan Medical Centre that has shown favourable results with the test animals. However researches say that the vaccine is nowhere near ready for trial on human beings, and it is just the first known weakness of the Ebola virus. National Institutes of Health: Virus Research Centre A team of researchers led by scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a novel vaccine that prevents Ebola virus infection in monkeys. All four vaccinated monkeys were completely protected from a lethal dose of the virus.

This study describes the first primate model of immune protection against Ebola virus, a model that may allow scientists to rationally design a vaccine that prevents this dreaded disease in humans. This was discovered in Nov of 2000, but no further news has been made available. In conclusion, though the Ebola virus has no known cure as of yet that is universal a possibility of a cure has recently been discovered. Recently a protein known as -N found in blue-green algae has become associated with both HIV and the Ebola Virus.

Cyanovirin has been found to partially inhibit the ability of both Ebola and HIV to bind and infect cells, there-by extending the host's survival time (Barrientos, 2003). Cyanovirin has been found to bind to the outside of cells there by inhibiting their ability to cross the cellular membranes (Barrientos, 2003). Cyanovirin shows promise in its ability to attach to sugar molecules found on the surface of both HIV and the Ebola virus (Barrientos, 2003). Research trials have been preformed using animal models, in which test animals were infect with Ebola and given injections of once a day. This trial resulted in a delay in the onset of the disease, and longer survival in those animals injected with the protein than in those that were not injected (Barrientos, 2003). Below is a 3 D chime image of the protein Cyanovirin.