Ebola-Study Assignment Paper.
The twenty first century has experienced tremendous improvements and transformations
when it comes to the provision and delivery of health care. Similarly, a fair share of challenges
have also been faced such that they have highly jeopardized the very existence of humanity. The
upsurge and spread of the Ebola virus is one of the most severe afflictions that plagued a number
of African states. The mortality rate caused by this deadly disease reached an all-time high of
ninety percent. These alarming rates have hardly been reported in any part of the globe,
especially since technology proliferated within the society. Ebola-Study Assignment Paper. The majority of individuals have a
superficial understanding of the facts and concepts that revolve around the Ebola virus. This
paper is a brief reaction essay that provides opinions and views of Quammen simplifies the
history and scientific facts of Ebola in his book titled “Ebola: The Natural and Human History
of a Deadly Virus.”
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David Quammen has been described as a legendary and exemplary writer who is able to
communicate effectively with his audience. In his book titled, “Ebola: The Natural and Human
History of a Deadly Virus”, the first 65 pages discuss Ebola in simplified terms with regards to
its origin, history, mode of transmission and scientific relations (Quammen, 2014). This author
begins by letting the audience know that he strives to make them understand about the Ebola
virus with very less effort. To begin with, Quammen lets the reader know how severe the Ebola
virus is and the fatalities it caused (Quammen, 2014). The author believes that this virus is one
of the most virulent and has never been witnessed ever since the disappearance of the Biblical
tenth plague that wiped out the Egyptians before the exodus. Ebola-Study Assignment Paper.
Additionally, this book shows how just like the plague, Ebola killed its victims in a
painful, agonizing and yet swift approach (Quammen, 2014). Consequently, the author terms
this disease as a pestilence that is not remorseful or apologetic once it strikes a nation. Ebola-Study Assignment Paper.
There are a number of facts that are well explained within this text that enable the reader to
deeply understand more about Ebola. Firstly, the history, genesis and origin of this pandemic are
comprehensively and exhaustively covered by the author. This is well outlined when Quammen
begins by stating in the first chapter that the Ebola virus was first reported in the year 1976
(Quammen, 2014).
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According to him, the Congo forest is the initial location where the disease first
originated before it spread out to neighboring African states such as Uganda, Rwanda and even
Burundi. The writer goes ahead to detail how this disease spread swiftly and rapidly such that it
managed to kill a large number of people at the time (Quammen, 2014). Ebola-Study Assignment Paper. The author also explains
the genesis and spread of the Ebola virus very well because he shows how the four decades since
the 1970’s have all experienced this pandemic in one way or the other. Quammen emphasizes on
how this virus spread in a sporadic manner and every time it causes effects that are devastating
and overwhelming to the victims (Quammen, 2014). This book is also well written in the sense
that it lets the reader know that the carrier of this virus is believed to be in wild animals. The
specific carrier of the virus is yet to be identified as it is still speculated that primates are
believed to harbor the virus in their bodies. Ebola-Study Assignment Paper.
Hence, the reader is able to understand that Ebola will still remain a persistent problem
because the animal that hosts the causative virus is still elusive (Quammen, 2014). At the same
time, Quammen explains through a scientific perspective that Ebola does not have a known cure.
As such, it makes it difficult to contain the virus and the only way to avoid the spread of transmission is by adopting preventive measures. The author explains why quarantine and
seclusion of infected patients is very important in containing the disease and also the safe
handling of dead bodies and corpses. The author’s encounter with the virus within an African
state also helps him to give a vivid explanation of the virus in terms of its historical past, the
present as well as the unforeseen future (Quammen, 2014).
The facts and theoretical concepts provided in this text highly changed my perception of
the Ebola virus. Through the eyes of Quammen, I was able to understand the disease in terms of
its historical roots, discovery, fatalities and even mortality rates. What’s more, I was able to trace
back the disease to other countries and understand how it has affected their health sectors.
However, I believe the author should have covered more about the recent outbreak in West
Africa and link it with the medical and research interventions that were applied (Quammen,
2014). Ebola-Study Assignment Paper.
In addition, the author could have explained why the disease is mostly concentrated to the
African continent and why some countries tend to be at higher risk when compared to
others.Despite this slight ommissions, the book “Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a
Deadly Virus” remains very insightful and informative in relation to this viral disease
(Quammen, 2014). Conclusively, David Quammen manages to effortlessly demystify the facts
that revolve around Ebola and enable the layman to understand and internalize the contents of his
book with very minimal sweat. Ebola-Study Assignment Paper.
References
Quammen, D. 2014. Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus. New York:
W.W. Norton & Company
Reaction Paper 2 Assignment(1) (1)
Ebola-Study Assignment Paper.