Describe an epidemic disease and how it may change the preparation of Essay

Describe an epidemic disease and how it may change the preparation of the bodies for funeral services - Essay Example In 1990 once again a similar type of virus was spotted among monkeys in Reston, Virginia which were imported from the Philippines. The strain was named Ebola Reston (EBO Reston). The epidemic continued to emerge in the region in different countries such as in Zaire in 1995 and 2003, Gabon in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and Uganda in the year 2000. In 1994 a subtype of Ebola virus was spotted in the Ivory Coast and was identified as Ebola-CI. So far there have been 1500 identified cases of Ebola virus in the world out of which two third have died. King (2003) further states that the virus is one of the 18 least known viruses that have the capability of causing viral hemorrhage fever syndrome. The virus belongs to the family of flaviviridae. There are four subtypes of Ebola Virus. They are Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan, Ebola Ivory Coast and Ebola Reston. Its outbreak is in the form of an epidemic that is capable of causing 88% deaths in the patients suffering from it. Ebola Zaire is considered to be the deadliest one with greatest number of deaths attributed to it. However no deaths were reported from the four cases of Ebola Reston. The virus is quickly replicated in human and non human tissues spreading the infection rapidly. The replication is followed by severe focal necrosis. The severest form of necrosis occurs in the liver where councilman like bodies are formed like the ones formed in the yellow fever. The tissues and blood of the near death patients suffering from Ebola virus are highly infectious. King (2003) states that in 1996 members of the National Institute of Virology of South Africa carried out a research in Zaire to find out the infectivity of the virus in different species of plants, vertebrates and invertebrates. It was observed that the serum and feces of the insectivorous bats (Tadarida pumila) and fruit bats (Epomophorus wahlbergi) were found to help the virus multiply rapidly without dying. No definite source has been identified