The Hot Zone Ebola Fever

Ebola Viruses

There are many different ways to pass away, some harsher than others. In “The Hot Zone” By Richard Preston, there are a few different viruses explained to be deadly to not only humans, but other species as well. The hot zone is an area on earth that contains lethal, infectious organisms. Marburg virus, Ebola Zaire, and Sudan virus all contribute to making the hot zone so pernicious.

One of the viruses mentioned in “The Hot Zone” that significantly contributes to the Ebola virus disease (EVD) is the Marburg virus disease (MARV) is rare but a severe hemorrhagic fever. This virus can affect both humans and non-human primates. It was first recognized in nineteen sixty-seven after a few outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany

Although the two viruses can cause permanent damage, they both have differences. ZEBOV has emerged into the human population throughout Africa. Not only has it infected humans, but has also caused massive die-offs of chimpanzees and gorillas. Experiences with Ebola Zaire are somewhat similar to the Marburg and Sudan virus that will be introduced later. “Ebola Zaire (EBO-Z) killed two hundred and eighty of the three hundred and eighteen people infected Yambuku Mission Hospital (YMH) used the same needles with different patients. They did not dispose of them properly or sterilize the needles. EBO-Z was then spread throughout YMH, infecting staff members as well as patients” (Commission). This encounter shows how Ebola Zaire (EBO-Z) has been easily spread throughout the YMH and can ruin the human population. EBO-Z will eat its victim and lead them to a painful death. The earliest known outbreak was located at Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo, suggesting that all known outbreaks evolved from a Yambuku like virus after nineteen seventy-six. ZEBOV and Marburg are both linked to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), as well as the Sudan virus

Like the other viruses, SUDV can also infect humans and non-human primates. If someone were to be contaminated with this murderous virus, it would require Biosafety Level Four Containment. Biosafety level four Containment (BSL-4) is the highest level of Biological Safety. The microbes in a BSL-4 are exotic and fatal. It is critical to some ones safety that they abide to the containment requirements. Ebola Sudan can and will always be a lethal virus. “YuG, a manufacturing factory cloth worker became ill with Ebola Sudan, and passed away on July sixth, nineteen seventy six. One of YuG’s coworkers later became ill with the same virus and passed away eight days later. During the same month another one of YuG’s coworkers passed away on July twenty-seventh, nineteen seventy-six” (Team). The patients that were infected with Ebola Sudan suffered a slow death in a short amount of time. The Sudan Virus was first discovered in South Sudan in nineteen seventy-six, where it was described as “Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever” but classified as SUDV. Bats were suspected to harbor the virus because of the distantly related filo virus, MARV. MARV has been isolated from bats, but no reservoir host has been positively identified. As well as being unclear on how SUDV was introduced into the human