Public Health IssueThe Ebola virus originates from a known strain of viruses in the family called filovirus, which are zoonotic pathogens. Symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, throat pain, and muscle pain. These symptoms can appear between 2 days and 3 weeks after contracting the virus. This public health problem dates back to the 1970s, when the first three known epidemics occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan (Li, Chen 2014). The Ebola virus is introduced into a population when there is close contact with the blood, secretions, or bodily fluids of infected animals. The virus emerged in Africa when humans came into close contact with infected chimpanzees, gorillas, bats, monkeys, antelopes and porcupines. Ebola spreads within a community through human-to-human transmission. The virus is able to spread quickly through direct contact with skin or mucous membranes. Ebola is a problem around the world for six main reasons. Firstly, there is no cure for the disease, vaccines have been tested but none are available. Second, Ebola is a very deadly disease. It can kill up to 90% of victims within a few days of exposure (Cunningham 2003). Filoviruses cause episodic, fatal and hemorrhagic epidemics in humans and primates (Olival, Islam, Daszak 2013). Third, healthcare workers become infected while caring for patients. This is due to close contact with patients and healthcare personnel not taking all necessary precautions. Fourth, infected people remain contagious after death. This means that at funerals, family members can potentially become infected through close contact with the infected person. Fifth, people are contagious as long as the virus is still present...... middle of paper ......5a%40sessionmgr4002&vid=4&hid=4204Pozos, Joshua. “Ebola.” Ebola. NP, 2008. Web. May 15, 2014. http://www.austincc.edu/microbio/2704w/ev.htm William P. Cunningham. Ed. Marci Bortman, Peter Brimblecombe and Mary Ann Cunningham. Flight. 1. 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. &content Set = GALE % 7CCX3404800460&&docId=GALE|CX3404800460&docType=GALEY. H. LI, CHEN S. P et al. Evolutionary history of the Ebola virus (online series). 2014; 142 (1-1138). Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 13, 2014. http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FHYG%2FHYG142_06%2FS0950268813002215a.pdf&code=ddbd133a846a70965eecd461067b11c3