Ebola: The "Zombie" Virus which is Shaking the World!

Ebola, a name which sends a chill down our spine, reminds us of the outbreak in Sudan, Zaire, Congo and the most recent one, in West Africa. But is this name unique to us? Doesn't it click something else in our minds?. But first, let's know something about this virus.


The specialty about this virus is that it is not contagious until the victim begins to develop symptoms:

fatigue, high fever, muscle and joint pain, headache and sore throat are some of the starting symptoms. this is often followed by: breathlessness, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and in some cases, rash and bleeding. But by the time these symptoms start showing up, the infection is termed 'fatal'. Typical, isn't it?

By the time the virus starts spreading, it goes at it's own pace. It affected about 254 people in it's first outbreak and 425 people in Congo. In the case of Africa, it a whopping 9216.  The diagnosis and cure is also complex.

So, after all this info got into your mind, you must have realized the vastness and the damage caused by this virus. Now let's turn to the the other side of the coin, how did this name 'Ebola' come up? Weird name for a virus this huge, isn't it?

Strangely weird though, the name came from a river located near Congo. Now let's get our priorities straight. Naming a virus after this 'random' river, just because a victim got infected after he visited it?
But, on the other hand, it may also describe the uniqueness of this virus. And that is why, every hospital and clinic has a signboard saying 'Prevention is Better than Cure'. That may apply to our 'friendly' virus, Ebola.