Science and Technology
Context: Uganda recently declared the end of the Ebola disease outbreak caused by Sudan ebolavirus.
About Ebola Disease:
- Ebola spreads through EBOV (Ebola virus) which is a virus belonging to the Filoviridae family of viruses.
- It is mainly found in animals.
- Ebola is a virus that causes severe inflammation and tissue damage throughout the body.
- It is known as a haemorrhagic fever virus, because it can cause problems with the clotting system of the body and lead to internal bleeding, as blood leaks from small blood vessels.
- Six different species of the virus have been found, but only four are known to cause disease in humans.
- Ebola is spread through direct contact with body fluids ― blood, saliva, sweat, tears, mucus, vomit, faeces, breast milk, urine and semen of people infected with it.
- It is also spread by touching things that have been contaminated with these fluids.
- The virus is named after the Ebola river (Republic of Congo ) — as a village situated on its bank witnessed the first instance of the viral outbreak in 1976.
Treatment:
- A vaccine for Ebola was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2019.
- It is a one-dose shot that protects against the variant of the Ebola virus that has caused the most serious outbreak so far.
- This vaccine is not likely to be effective against the Ebola Sudan strain that caused a 2022 outbreak in Uganda.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Questions
Q,1) Consider the following statements in respect of probiotics :
- Probiotics are made of both bacteria and yeast.
- The organisms in probiotics are found in foods we ingest but they do not naturally occur in our gut.
- Probiotics help in the digestion of milk sugars.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (2022)
- 1 only
- 2 only
- 1 and 3
- 2 and 3
Q.2) In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements:
- The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform.
- Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector based platform.
- COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen based vaccine.
Which of the statements given above are correct? (2022)
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
