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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 3, 2014 11:30 AM IST
Following the arrival of 59 medical experts from China about two weeks ago, 162 Cuban medical experts arrived in Sierra Leone to join in the fight against the Ebola disease. The team was received at the Lungi international airport by the west African country's Deputy Health Minister Madina Rahman, Xinhua reported.
Rahman noted that they have left the comfort of their homes and family to come and help the people of Sierra Leone in their fight to eradicate the Ebola disease. The minister said the cordial relationship between both countries has been demonstrated by their 'coming to help us fight this disease.'
Here are some reasons why the Ebola virus is so deadly:
There is no vaccine or treatment available: What makes this virus deadly is the fact that researchers have not been able to find an effective treatment or preventive technique to combat the virus and the spread of the disease. The experimental drug Zmapp has shown promising results but the safety and efficacy of the drug are to be evaluated. So, as of now, neither do we have an effective form of therapy nor do we have a vaccine to prevent the disease.
Attacks every part of the human body: Ebola only needs a host cell that can help it produce multiple copies of itself. What worsens the condition is the fact that the virus does not need a specific type of cell to multiply (unlike other deadly diseases). According to studies, except for skeletal muscles and bones, the virus is known to infect every part of the human body. Connective tissues, the ones that hold your internal organs in place, are primary targets of the virus.
Disrupts your immune system: Viral proteins present on the outer surface of the Ebola virus are what destroy the immune system. VP35, one of those proteins, interferes with the production of some important components of the human immune system, like interferons. Another protein traps the white blood cells inside the circulatory system by limiting their movement. As a response to the virus, whatever molecules the immune cells release are used by the virus to devastate the vascular system and activate blood clot formation.
With inputs from IANS
Image source: Getty images
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