Amazing Planet's video: EBOLA What makes it so DEADLY 5 questions 5 answers

EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE! What makes it so DEADLY? 5 questions, 5 answers. No 5. What is Ebola virus? Discovered in 1976 and named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ebola virus is classified as a severe and often deadly filovirus marked initially by fever, headaches and muscle pain, followed by vomiting and diarrhea and ultimately by both internal and external bleeding. No 4. How is Ebola transmitted? It is thought that fruit bats are the primary carrier of the virus. Bats then infect other animals, and humans become infected in turn by close contact with the blood, sweat, organs or other bodily fluids of these infected animals. Human to human transmission occurs from direct contact with bodily fluids through mucous membranes such as the mouth, eyes or broken skin, and indirectly by contact with environments recently contaminated with infected fluids. No 3. Why is the Ebola virus so deadly? Well it’s not actually the virus itself that directly causes the infamous and deadly bleeding, but it’s rather the immune system’s severe over-reaction to the threat – this is called a cytokine storm. This immune system over-reaction, also known as disseminated intravascular coagulation, produces blood clotting in all the wrong places and can cause fatal damage to vital organs such as the liver. No 2. How many people have been infected by the latest outbreak? As of early November 2014, the current outbreak in West Africa, the largest outbreak in recorded history, includes over 14,000 suspected cases resulting in the deaths of over 5000 people. No 1. Is there a cure or a vaccine? Sadly, at this stage, no there is not. But there are a number of promising potential vaccines currently undergoing human safety testing and evaluation. And according to the World Health Organization, there are also a range of other potential treatments including blood products and immune and drug therapies. This has been another Amazing Planet production. Thanks very much for watching. The ***Music*** -- called "Constance" -- was composed by Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=constance