Problems And Prevention

’s Of Ebola And AIDS Essay, Research Paper

Viruses have become of great concern all across the

world in the last few decades. The most common and the most talked about killer

virus is AIDS, a virus that starts out as HIV and then proceeds to develop

into a immune breaker that ultimately kills its human host. So far, there

is no cure for AIDS, and most unfortunately the numbers of deaths from AIDS

only continues to grow. However, another virus has gained much public and

national attention. That virus is called Ebola. It is thought that Ebola’s

effect on humans is restricted to Zaire, Africa. Viruses that kill people

in large masses is a major threat to mankind; the only hopes of destroying

the viruses is dependant upon technology.

AIDS is a deadly disease

that most people understand as a sexually transmitted disease. In fact, the

virus can be transmitted sexually, but it can also be transmitted through blood

transfusions. The fact that it can be transmitted sexually causes a great

problem. Everyday, enormous amounts of people have sex–some people with different

partners. People may have less sex than before because of the threat that

the virus poses, but it has already started, and cannot be stopped until a

cure is found. Unlike Ebola, AIDS was not detected as early as one would

have hoped. The AIDS virus can stay dormant for over a decade before it is

noticed as a real problem (Shenon 8). During that decade, the virus can

spread like a wild fire. One person contracts the virus, transmits it to another,

and another, and so on. As Shenon explains, AIDS became recognized as a real

problem in the early seventies and was mostly concentrated in the United States

and in Africa, but surprisingly it reached Asia a decade

afterward. He goes

on to explain that AIDS has spread exponentially in Asia. Thailand, recognized

for its proliferation of prostitutes and illegal promotion of sex with children,

could be held responsible for the tremendous outbreak of the virus in Asia,

explains Shenon. He also points out that now that the virus has already broken

out, Asia has the best AIDS prevention agenda in the world (8). For now

the best prevention of AIDS that is available is education and protected sex.

Until a cure is found for the ruthless virus, this is the only means of prevention

that is available to the public.

Ebola is one of the most rapidly

fatal viruses on the planet and is believed to have begun somewhere in Zaire,

Africa (Altman 3). There is no positive explanation as to how the virus is

spread. When the virus is contracted by humans it causes hemorrhagic fevers

and becomes extremely transmittable (A Case of Deadly Virus 4). Like the AIDS

virus, Ebola has no cure. The only advantage of prevention that Ebola has

over AIDS is that it does not stay dormant for decades therefore, it can be

isolated much quicker. Being able to isolate the virus in one town or country

makes the termination of it much easier. It seems inevitable that the two

most deadly viruses in the world are contracted by the idea of self preservation.

As stated earlier, AIDS is transmitted sexually, and Ebola is widely spread

through the consumption of chimpanzee meat that is a common delicacy in Asia

(A Case of Deadly Virus 4). Just as sex is an act that is very widespread

all around the world, eating chimpanzee meat in Asia is som

ething that is

very common. It is very hard to stop the spread of a disease when it is spread

by something that seems "second nature" to a person. The action that probably

ultimately stopped the virus from spreading to neighboring countries is the

fact that the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the WHO (World Health Organization)

were prompt to go the scenes of outbreak and begin studying the virus (A Case

of Deadly Virus 4). When just one man became infected with the disease in

the western Ivory Coast, the WHO were on the case to examine the problem (A

Case of Deadly Virus 4). Unfortunately, the people that are trying to stop

the spread of the virus and those who are close with the victims are those

people that have the greatest chance of being infected (Altman 3).

After a great deal of studying the ways that the virus is spread, it became

evident that there are other ways to become infected except by the eating of

chimp meat. As depicted by Altman, scientists do not believe that the virus

can become full blown like the common cold or influenza (3). It is known that

the virus can become attached to droplets in the air, but the amount needed

to be infected through the air is uncertain (3). Other ways of contracting

the disease is through urine, contaminated blood, and through feces (3). The

masses of underdeveloped villages in Asia is a breeding grounds for the Ebola

virus for many reasons. Many people walk around with no shoes on and therefore

contract the disease by stepping on the feces. Water is one of the prevention

measures that is taken to help prevent the spread of the virus and there is

little, if any, running water in the undeveloped villages (Altman 3). WHO

claims that the Ebola virus is over in Zaire (Altman 3). The entire world is

very fortuna

te that the Ebola virus did not spread as quickly as it could

have. Much respect is owed to the scientists and researchers who worked diligently

to isolate the virus.

The problems of the two viruses that have been

discussed can be contrasted to the sicknesses that are discussed in the Bible.

The Bible in many places mentions tremendous outbreaks of killer plagues.

Technology and the recognition of diseases and sickness is much better than

it was in Biblical times. But somehow the plagues of Biblical times were overcome.

It could be that the AIDS virus will just die out over time or the human race

will eventually build up an antibody to the virus. AIDS could be the pinnacle

of all diseases to ever exist because it would be most unlikely that humans

will build up an immune to a virus that does nothing but destroy the immune

system until the organism that it lives in can no longer live. As for now,

not knowing if and when the AIDS virus will be over, technology and research

must keep working to find a cure for the ruthless virus. To the many people

the Ebola virus did not affect, they should now realize how vulnerable their

life and the entire human race reall

y is. Viruses will probably always exist,

but as long as they do, technology must continue to move on even where there

seems to be no hope of finding a cure. Technology is the only answer to ending

what has already begun.

Altman, K. Lawrence. "New Skin Test

will Help Track Ebola Infection in

Remote Areas." New York Times

September 19,1995 C3.

Shenon, Phillip. "AIDS Epidemic, Late to Arrive,

Now Explodes in

Populous Asia." New York Times January 21, 1996

sect.1 1.

"A Case of Deadly Virus Reported in Ivory Coast." New York Times

December 9, 1995. sect.A 4.

"10 in Gabon Die of Ebola after Feast

of Chimp Meat." New York Times

February 17, 1996 sect.A 5.