Utah People's Post

The Latest News from the Beehive State

Thursday, February 25, 2021
Log in
  • National News
    • Female Caseworker Killed & Doctor Shot in Philadelphia
  • State News
    • Car Chase Leads to Drug Arrest
  • Tech & Science
  • Health
    • How to Prepare For Ticks Season
    • Magical Weight Loss Bean Scam
  • Sports
  • Business
You are here: Home / Health / Has the Ebola Virus Been Lurking Undetected in West Africa?

Has the Ebola Virus Been Lurking Undetected in West Africa?

Posted by

Of all the viruses in the world, Ebola is one of the most feared ones. It has managed to kill over 600 people so far in West Africa, and studies show that it has been smoldering there for years. As a matter of fact, researchers claim that people who have been getting sick from it, thought they had a different illness. New studies of blood samples from people suffering from different viral-like illnesses in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea show that the victims might have actually been infected with Ebola.

ebola-disease1

This news is extremely distressing, and researchers are digging deeper through their cases to determine whether or not the virus had been lurking undetected. One thing to be taken into consideration is the fact that the blood samples used were several years old. This means that they could have been tainted due to heat-treatment (which ensures the safety of researchers). Nevertheless, the results are definitely worth following up. Randal Schoepp, from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, who also took part in the study, believes that more research is needed in this case.

“It has been circulating there for a long time (…) It just hadn’t gotten out of control or the right conditions weren’t there.” he declared on NBC News

Other researchers believe that it is highly unlikely that the virus would appear out of the blue. There must be some sort of explanation for the blood sample results. They believe there is some sort of Ebola carrier in the area, and they suspect bats and other animals. Truth be told, you don’t necessarily have to see an outbreak to understand that a virus is threatening the region. One should also consider the fact that Africa is a place were diseases spread rapidly, and it is easy for a virus like Ebola to smolder.

Until know, Ebola has claimed 613 lives in Sierra Leone, West Africa and Guinea, during an outbreak that started in spring, says the World Health organization. The reason why the Ebola virus is causing so much commotion is because, since it was first diagnosed (in 982), it has reached a mortality rate of over 60%. 

Of course, medics and scientists in Africa have bigger problems, like the Lassa virus which infects between 100 and 300 thousand people each year (leading to over 5000 deaths – says the U.S. centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In other words, when people show up at the hospital with fever (if they do show up, because most of them prefer to retreat in the forest than seek medical help), medics automatically suspect Lassa. This is mainly because Lassa and Ebola symptoms are similar (high fever, internal & external bleeding, vomiting etc.), and also because the Ebola virus has never been recorded in West Africa in the past.

Schoepp’s team studies proved that nearly 9% of blood samples studied carried antibodies to Ebola. Of course, this does not mean that all 9% were suffering from Ebola, but it proves that some of the mystery fevers were caused by it.

The best course of action now would be to test fresh blood samples (when people first get sick). This will make it possible for medics to detect the actual virus circulating the body.

“Virus hunting is not as easy as people think.” Schoepp said

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: Ebola virus, health problems in Africa, Lassa virus, West Africa diseases, World Health Organization

Woman working out at the gym

Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

By

Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

By

United Airlines airplane

Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston

By

Breakfast sandwich

Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

By

Poppy flower

UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply

By

U.S.-Canada border

French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border

By

Plus size model

Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

By

Giant manta ray

Unique Manta Ray Nursery Spotted off Texas Coast

By

The rainbow flag

WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

By

456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

By

Kenyan girls dancing

Kenyans Facing Poor Nutrition as Supermarket Shopping Is on the Rise

By

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Staff
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Posts

  • Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)
  • Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston
  • Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat
  • UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply
  • French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

Related Articles

  • Woman working out at the gym

    Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

  • Breakfast sandwich

    Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

  • The rainbow flag

    WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

  • 456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

  • Young woman affected by depression

    If You Have PTSD You Were Likely Abused as a Child

  • Obese dog on a leash

    Obese Dogs Can Help Us Better Understand How Obesity Works

  • Our Brains Are Craving Combinations of Fats and Carbs (Study)

  • Hungry bird with beck open

    Scientists Explain Why We Get ‘Hangry’

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Provo
  • Salt Lake News
  • Science
  • Sports
  • State News
  • Tech & Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City
  • World

Copyright © 2021 utahpeoplespost.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.