Disease In The Movie Outbreak

A disease can be defined as “an abnormal condition in which an organism's normal bodily functions are interrupted, causing the feeling of pain and weakness which are usually associated with symptoms and signs” (Biology-online.org). People can be affected by disease directly or indirectly in their lifetime. Individuals in an audience can relate to the fear and trepidation that Hollywood can produce in a movie that presents the pain, suffering and sadness of a life threatening sickness. However, sometimes the facts get distorted by the producers and the diseases seen on the big screen may not the same as those in real life. The movie, which is based around the fictional Motaba Virus which is modelled upon the terrifying Ebola Virus of West Africa. The movie Outbreak has questionable scientific worth. The signs and symptoms and the facts portrayed

Viruses, unlike bacteria, are not cells; they are parasitic invaders and consist of a fragment of genetic material, either DNA or RNA, inside a protective protein coating. (Science dimensions 4) Viruses can only reproduce inside host cells. Once inside, they take over the control of the cell and program it to make even more virus particles. When the number of virus particles reaches its maximum, the cell breaks apart, releasing the virus and allowing it to attack other cells. Sometimes Viruses can remain inactive for long periods of time following the invasion of cells. An example of this is the common herpes simplex virus, responsible for cold sores. In this disease the virus will be remain dormant, awaiting the right conditions for rapid reproduction and re-appearance, where the cold sores come and go. Viruses can be very difficult to treat because they are not cells. They are not stopped by common antibiotics and the infected person will therefore have to wait until their body uses its own methods of defence to terminate the