Western Africa Ebola Epidemic (2014) Is the Essay

Western Africa Ebola epidemic (2014) is the "largest in history," and has killed many hundreds of people (p. 1). Formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease was first identified near the Ebola River, for which the disease is named. Symptoms of the disease may not be present for up to three weeks due to the incubation period of the virus. Moreover, symptoms are general and resemble those of other diseases, making definitive diagnosis difficult before taking laboratory tests. Symptoms include headache, fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Hampton (2014) notes that fatality rates are as high as ninety percent. Those who survive will develop antibodies that can last up to ten years (CDC, 2014). However, there are as of yet no known cures or vaccines (Brumfield & Wilson, 2014). Although fewer than 2400 cases were recorded until this year, over 700 individuals have died from the disease already in 2014 (Brumfield, 2014).

It is uncertain exactly how the disease evolved, but there are several different strains of Ebola (Li & Chen, 2014). Causation and risk factors include exposure to the disease, as direct contact with a carrier is the only known means of disease transmission. The virus can be carried in bodily fluids, and therefore can be transmitted via needles as well as direct contact with an infected person's blood or saliva. The high-risk zones are mainly in Western Africa, although recent outbreaks in the United States and Europe have been recorded due to contact with infected patients.As Hewlett & Hewlett (2005) point out, a lack of protective gear, lack of precautionary behaviors, belief in supernatural elements related to health and healing, and stigmatization are all factors that inhibit control of the disease and facilitate its being spread. Lack of awareness of how the disease is transmitted may also lead to hazardous burial of those who have died from the disease (Turner, 2014). Although the primary populations affected are communities in Western Africa, all persons who come into contact with those who have contacted a person with Ebola are technically at risk of contracting the disease.

Ebola heavily impacts individuals and communities with poorly developed health infrastructure in western Africa. The effects of the disease extend to communities but also to the international health care community. Health care workers assisting at-risk populations in Africa may not be taking appropriate precautions, and even when they are, exposure to the disease is possible through daily contact with infected individuals. The disease has had a significant and disruptive effect on communities throughout Western Africa. For example, large public events ranging from weddings to soccer matches have been cancelled in an attempt to squelch the spread of the disease in countries like Uganda and Congo (Hewlett & Hewlett, 2005). Likewise, the risk of transmitting the disease via handshakes have led to the development and use of alternative greetings like bumping elbows or snapping fingers (Hewlett & Hewlett, 2005). Although temporarily a nuisance,.....