The Four Families of the Filovirus Ebola - 2006 Words

The filovirus Ebola consists of 4 families: Marburg, Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan, and Ebola Reston. It is a rather simple virus in structure; each contain a single strand RNA strand and 7 different proteins, 3 which are only slightly understood and 4 that are completely unknown. The virus harms the immune system like the HIV virus, but Ebola causes an explosive attack. The virus is associated with the measles and mumps family, pneumonia viruses, parainfluenza viruses which include colds, and respiratory system related viruses. Unlike common viruses which are ball-shaped, Ebola’s shape represents that similar to a shepherd’s crook, a long snake-like thread that looks like a worm. Because the Ebola virus has a distinct structure, it has been classified as a â€Å"thread virus† in its own family of viruses, the filoviruses. Meet the sisters: Marburg- (1st discovered) She originated from an African organism but received a German name. First identified in an old city of central Germany in 1967, Marburg devastated the town, killing 1 out of 4 victims and causing effects that resembled rabies. Scientists analyzed the virus structure and found strands and strands of tangled rope, some wrapped in looks similar to donuts. In this way, for some time, Marburg was called stretched rabies, its worm-like shapes stretched out unlike the rabies virus which is bullet-shaped. Effects- Marburg attacks human tissue like nuclear radiation, damaging the nervous system and especially the brain. VictimsShow MoreRelatedThe Ebola Virus1631 Words   |  7 PagesThe Ebola Virus A virus is an ultramicroscopic infectious organism that, having no independent metabolic activity, can replicate only within a cell of another host organism. A virus consists of a core of nucleic acid, either RNA or DNA, surrounded by a coating of antigenic protein and sometimes a lipid layer surrounds it as well. The virus provides the genetic code for replication, and the host cell provides the necessary energy and raw materials. There are more than 200 viruses thatRead MoreEbola: More Research is Needed To Find a Cure Essay899 Words   |  4 PagesEbola Hemorrhagic Fever is a severe and often deadly illness that occurs in humans and primates. Ebola viruses are members of the filovirus family. The Ebola virus causes the infection of this disease. There are four subtypes of the Ebola virus that have occurred in humans: Ebola Sudan, Ebola Zaire, Ebola Ivory Coast, and Ebola Bundibogyo. There was also a case of Ebola that occurred in a non-human in Reston, Virginia. The Zaire virus was the first Ebola virus discovered and it is also consideredRead MoreThe Ebola virus (EBOV) Essay1677 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The Ebola virus (EBOV) is a dangerous virus which has a chance of mortality when infected up to 90%. This makes it one of the most deadly viruses for humans in the world. 1, 2 It does not stop there. Various EBOV outbreaks have fatally infected tens of thousands of chimpan-zees, duikers and gorillas. It those areas it is a great threat to the wildlife.3 EBOV belongs to the order of the nonsegmented negative-sense (NNS)RNA type viruses, the Mononegavirales and it is part of the family FiloviridaeRead MoreThe Hot Zone9599 Words   |  39 Pagesa trader who was more interested in money than the health of the animals. The virus is different from most because rather than being ball-shaped, it is a filovirus, or has tendrils like hair or worms that tangle together. They can also roll up into loops, a very unique trait. The other well-known filovirus is Ebola. Marburg kills one in four humans who receive medical treatment and is so dangerous that the international community immediately tries to identify the source. The best they can do isRead MoreThe Ebola Virus Essay1307 Words   |  6 PagesDisease name Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola HF) Four identified subtypes of Ebola: (4)  · Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast (cause disease in humans)  · Ebola-Reston (cause disease in non-human primates only) Means of Transmission Person-to-person transmission Direct contact of blood, secretions, semen, vomit, diarrhea (1) or organs of infected person Sexually transmitted - â€Å"Transmission through semen may occur up to 7 weeks after clinical recovery, asRead MoreEbola Virus ( Virus )1231 Words   |  5 PagesEbola was named for a small river near Maridi, Sudan. Since Ebola first appeared in 1967 there have been over 100 cases of Ebola with more than 50% of the patients dying within days of their acute symptoms. Ebola is classified as a biosafety level four agent because of its extreme pathogenicity and the lack of a vaccine or antiviral drug. Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus); Taà ¯ Forest virus (Taà ¯ Forest ebolavirus, formerly Cà ´te d’Ivoire ebolavirus); and Bundibugyo virusRead MoreEssay on The Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever Description897 Words   |  4 Pagesthis virus it is easily spread among other humans. Most notably through through bodily fluids exchanged through sexual intercourse or when coming into contact with the recently deceased. The Marbug virus is in the same virus family as the Ebola virus, the Filoviridae family. Incubation time of the virus ranges from two days to 21 days. The symptoms of the Marburg hemorrhagic fever start off with very quickly with a high fever and severe malaise. A hemorrhagic fever is a fever where you can spontaneouslyRead More The Worlds Fight Against Microbes Essay2236 Words   |  9 Pagesour environment, and shortsighted political action and/or inaction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a group of diseases caused by viruses from four distinct families of viruses: filoviruses, arenaviruses, flaviviruses, and bunyaviruses. The usual hosts for most of these viruses are rodents or arthropods, and in some viruses, such as the Ebola virus, the natural host is not known. All forms of viral hemorrhagic fever begin with fever and muscle aches, and depending on the particular virusRead MoreA History of the Ebola Virus Essay example2243 Words   |  9 PagesZone, speaking about Ebola Ebola is the deadliest viral disease by bleeding. It is known to attack everything in the human body, but the skeletal muscle and bone. The name Ebola comes for the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Dudley 22) The Ebola Virus is one of the two members of the filovirus family. (Ryan 244) The other member of the family is hemorrhagic fever which Ebola cause you to get the fever. There are four different strains of Ebola each similar to one anotherRead MoreEssay about Bioterrorism - Viral Hemorrhagic Fever2177 Words   |  9 Pageshemorrhagic fever has become a potent weapon used for bioterrorism, silently killing its victims and instilling fear in the rest of the population. Viral hemorrhagic fever can be divided into 4 families. Although each family of viral hemorrhagic fever may have some of its own unique characteristics, the four families are generally fairly similar regarding the high fevers and hemorrhages they cause. Because of past outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fever, scientists have reason to believe that terrorists have