LIberia

Whats the link

between these
pictures?

Sierra
Leone flag

Guinea
flag

Fill in the I think that column on

your problem grid
Discuss your theories in your table groups

You are a research scientist

The WHO (World Health Organisation)
along with the CDC (centre for disease
control) has asked you to research the
Ebola virus so that you can educate the
public and help to avoid unnecessary
panic!

Timeline
1976 Ebola virus disease emerged, with
outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and Sudan

Timeline
1979 Ebola virus disappeared and wasn't
recognised again until 1994

Timeline
1994 and onwards further outbreaks in
Central Africa happened with increasing
frequency

Timeline
March 2014 the current outbreak (the largest
yet) was confirmed in Guinea, West Africa

How do Ebola outbreaks start?

It's thought the Ebola virus has
been living harmlessly in fruit
bats for many years, building up
in this population and spreading
to other forest animals
including chimpanzees and
gorillas.
It's likely the virus makes its way
into people after they butcher
or handle dead animals
contaminated with the virus.

How does Ebola spread among people?

People can become infected with the Ebola virus if they come into contact with the blood, body fluids or organs of an
infected person.
Most people are infected by giving care to other infected people, either by directly touching the victim's body or by cleaning
up body fluids (stools, urine or vomit) that carry infectious blood.

Traditional African burial rituals have also played a part in its spread. The Ebola virus can survive for several days outside the
body, including on the skin of an infected person, and it's common practice for mourners to touch the body of the deceased.
They only then need to touch their mouth to become infected.
Other ways people can catch Ebola are:

touching the soiled clothing of an infected person, then touching their mouth

handling unsterilised needles or medical equipment that were used in the care of the infected person
A person is infectious as long as their blood, urine, stools or secretions contain the virus.
Ebola virus disease is generally not spread through routine social contact (such as shaking hands) with patients who do not
have symptoms.

The virus is not, for example, as infectious as diseases like the flu, as airborne transmission is much less likely. You'd need
to have close contact with the source of infection to be at risk.

How does Ebola spread among people?

To understand Ebola prevention, you first need to understand how it spreads.
Ebola is a level-4 biohazard virus. It spreads so easily and quickly that even well-trained doctors
wearing protecting masks and gloves keep getting infected from nearby patients.
An Ebola infection only requires a single viral organism to enter your body, usually through your
mouth or eyes. A person who rubs their eyes with their finger can instantly cause an Ebola
infection of a single virus was resting on their finger.
Ebola can spread through "aerosols," meaning liquid particles suspended in the air. When a
person infected with Ebola sneezes, vomits or coughs, they can create Ebola aerosols. "1 - 10
aerosolized organisms are sufficient to cause infection in humans," explains the Public Health
Agency of Canada. (2) This is how
Ebola becomes "airborne" even when it is not traditionally categorized as an airborne disease.
Sanitizing surfaces is a significant part of any defense against Ebola infections. It is well
established that Ebola can be killed with sodium hypochlorite, also known as bleach. It's also
killed with methyl alcohol, Triton X-100 (a cleaning agent I use in the lab), and UV radiation.
This means sunlight kills Ebola, which is probably why you don't find much Ebola in the deserts
of the world. The pathogen tends to come out of humid jungle areas that are dark and damp. If
it were to invade the USA, it would be far more "successful" in places like Florida and Louisiana
where heat and humidity are commonplace.

What are the symptoms of Ebola?

An infected person will typically develop a fever,
headache, joint and muscle pain, sore throat, and
intense muscle weakness. These symptoms start
suddenly, between 2 and 21 days after becoming
infected, but usually after 5-7 days.
Diarrhoea, vomiting, a rash, stomach pain and
impaired kidney and liver function follow.
The patient then bleeds internally, and may also bleed
from the ears, eyes, nose or mouth.
Ebola virus disease is fatal in 50-90% of cases. The
sooner a person is given care, the better the chances
that they will survive.

Who is at risk of catching Ebola?

Anyone who cares for an infected person or
handles their blood or fluid samples is at risk of
becoming infected. Hospital workers, laboratory
workers and family members are at greatest risk.
Strict infection control procedures and wearing
protective clothing minimises this risk see
What's the advice for healthcare workers?.
Simply washing hands with soap and water can
destroy the virus.

How is Ebola treated?

There's currently no licensed treatment or vaccine for Ebola virus disease,
although potential new vaccines and drug therapies are being developed and
tested.
Patients need to be placed in isolation in intensive care. Dehydration is
common, so fluids may be given directly into a vein (intravenously). Blood
oxygen levels and blood pressure need to be maintained at the right level and
body organs supported while the patient's body fights the disease and any
other infections are treated.
ZMapp is an experimental treatment that can be tried, although it has not yet
been tested in humans for safety or effectiveness. The product is a
combination of three different antibodies that bind to the protein of the Ebola
virus.

Task 1

Task 2

Complete your problems grid

by using the information
around the room to answer
the questions

Using the information sheets

create a timeline of the
history of Ebola

Task 3

Task 3 (High Challenge)

Make an information poster

to educate the public about
the Ebola virus (use your
problems grid to help you)

Produce a news report script

to educate the public on
Ebola (we will record these
next lesson)

(do this in your book)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cparw3JLO
60
http://vimeo.com/28678862
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sYSyuuLk
5g

Did this man really rise from the dead

after dying of the Ebola virus?

FICTION!
The image was doctored from a zombie from
the film World war Z Check out the video
below to be sure
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/weirdnews/ebola-risen-from-the-dead-viral-zombiestory-is-a-complete-hoax-9777916.html

Expensive hand sanitizers are needed

to stop the spread of Ebola

Just normal hand washing with soap

works!
Frequent hand washing
with soap and water is
recommended, particularly
if you are in contact with an
Ebola patient or his/her
surroundings.
Alcohol gel can be useful
but if the hands are visibly
dirty it is important to wash
your hands with clean
water and soap, health
officials say.

Malaria kills more people per day than

Ebola has killed in the entire outbreak

 Malaria (a mosquito-bourne virus) kills 2.7

million people per year!!
Ebola has killed an estimate of 6000 people in
its entire history!

You can catch Ebola from someone

that looks perfectly healthy

 You almost certainly cant. Ebola has an incubation

period of up to 21 days between infection and showing
symptoms (though its generally shorter). This is part of
the fuel behind fears people could travel from west
Africa then spread the disease.
However, in general, people who display no Ebola
symptoms are not yet infectious and in any case,
casual social contact (being nearby, or even shaking
hands) generally doesnt spread the virus.