Ever since the Ebola outbreak in the two missionary doctors
that brought back the virus to the United States, talk of this insidious
disease has been on the rise, and rightfully so. With a fatality rate of almost
90%, extreme precaution is crucial. Moreover, an outbreak in West Africa is
cause for concern for possibly spreading to the Middle East in the near future,
experts conclude. Already the cause for nearly 1,000 deaths, the World Health
Organization has deemed this the worst out break to occur thus far.
“We may have started to late in raising alert for this
disease,” a Nigerian public health official commented. Currently, there is no
vaccine formulated to treat the disease, and the Ebola virus has now been
declared an “international public health emergency,” WHO Director General
Margaret Chan.
I found the news of the initial outbreak rather alarming and
now this confirms the notion that Ebola is not some archaic incident that we
have no reason to fret over. In fact, it would be rather naive to assume such a
virus could never make its way to the United States if not controlled sooner
than later, as predictions of its movement to the Middle East have already
formed. While there isn’t a need to wear facemasks around town per say, (the
virus is only passed through an infected person’s bodily fluids), it is
something to follow on the news and at the very least, be aware that it is out
there. Many barriers are present
in this situation, one being insufficient public awareness, just as the
Nigerian official stated. There are many ways to prevent such an outbreak if
the public is made aware of the right precautions to take.
http://www.enn.com/health/article/47717
I did not know that the fatality rate of Ebola is 90 percent. I think that researches should work harder to create a vaccination if it is so deadly and such a large problem. I agree that we should take in to consideration that the disease could easily come into the United States if it spreads so rapidly in other countries. I also agree that people should be more aware of the disease such as knowing the symptoms and knowing that it is out there. If people become more aware then that would help most of the problem.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know that we have not yet come up with a vaccine to treat Ebola, and it’s really scary that this has become an international emergency so quickly. I was also unaware that it has already killed a thousand people. I agree with you that everyone needs to be aware of the disease and of how to protect themselves from it, especially with a 90 percent fatality rate. This outbreak shows that we really need to do more research on the virus in order to come up with a way to treat people so that an outbreak like this doesn’t happen again.
ReplyDeleteEbola really scares me...the fact that it can not be treated and the fact that it kills people. I'm planning on going to Africa within the next 5 years and I really hope that a cure can be found soon. The good thing is that it isn't air borne.
ReplyDelete