4.The Ebola Virus
Currently,the world is facing an epidemic (流行病) due to what is considered to be among the most dangerous viruses that humanity has ever faced-the Ebola bleeding virus.Though there were announcements about experimental treatments that were reported to be successful in terms of treating the virus,people around the world continue to die from Ebola.
Ebola was first discovered in 1976in Africa,on the banks of the Ebola River,after which the virus has been named.Back then,there were two major outbreaks of the virus,and this is how people learned about it.There exist several strains of the Ebola virus,some of them are deadly to people,and some are not.
The main symptoms of Ebola can appear in a period between the second and the 21st days of infection,but usually it happens on the eighth through 10th day.Among the symptoms that appear in the first turn,one should mention fever and chills,strong headaches,pain in joints and muscles,and general weakness.These symptoms are not too different from those that people usually experience when catching a severe cold,or flu,so victims may even ignore these symptoms,or try to treat them as a common sickness.However,as the virus keeps progressing,a patient develops nausea(呕吐) with vomiting,diarrhea,chest and stomach pains,red eyes and rash over the body,severe weight loss,and bleeding from almost all bodily openings.
The virus is usually transmitted either through blood,or through waste.Infection through blood usually takes place if a person consumes infested meat,or even touches it (for example,butchering can also lead to infection).Also,there were cases when people got infected after stepping in waste of infected mammals,mostly bats.The other ways of getting infected is through skin by receiving bodily liquids via tiny openings.
Even though there is no specific cure for Ebola,doctors still try to treat it.In order to diagnose Ebola,doctors usually take tests on such diseases as cholera or malaria,because it is difficult to diagnose Ebola based only on symptoms.After the diagnosis has been made,doctors start treating the symptoms,which includes killing infected cells,electrolytes,blood pressure medication,blood transfusions,oxygen treatment,and so on.
Though Ebola is a highly dangerous disease,it is not likely that it will spread globally.It is most deadly in anti-sanitary(不卫生的) conditions,which many African countries have an extremely bad reputation for.As for first world countries,even though there is still no universal cure,they are at much lesser risk than African countries.Though the symptoms of Ebola are severe and getting infected is not difficult,with the correct handling of an outbreak,the virus should not be able to spread.
(71)Introduction | ●Ebola,a dangerous virus,was named after the Ebola River,on whose banks it was first discovered. ●Despite the (72)announced/reported success in the virus treatment,people across the world continue to die from the virus. |
Symptoms | ●In the first turn,the symptoms are (73)similar to those that people experience when they are (74)suffering from a severe cold or flu. ●If not (75)taken seriously,the virus will keep progressing,and things will change for the worse. |
Ways of getting infected | ●People (76)consuming infested meat or touching it can get infected. ●People who step in waste of infected mammals,mostly bats,are (77)likely to get infected. ●People who receive bodily liquids via tiny openings can also get infected. |
Treatment and (78)prevention | ●After making correct diagnosis,doctors start treating the symptoms in many ways,(79)including killing infected cells,blood pressure medication,oxygen therapy,and so on. ●Sanitary living conditions play a significant (80)part/role in preventing the outbreak of the Ebola virus. |