An outbreak of Ebola is currently ongoing in central Africa. Scientists from around the world are addressing the issues surrounding Ebola, this site focuses on tools and information that can be used to further the understanding of Ebola.
Ebola is a viral disease that effects humans and other primates. The symptoms start within three weeks and include fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches. Vomiting, diarrhea, as well as decreased function of the liver and kidneys follow. At this point the virus causes both internal and external bleeding. The entire cycle takes two to four weeks. The virus is highly virulent, with survival rates as low as ten percent and highly contagious. Due to these issues a largescale epidemic is possible.
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The life cycle starts with a copy of the negative strand of RNA packaged into a viral capsule. This capsule crashes into a cell and gains entry. Immediately it activates the cell's polymerase to copy the negative strand into positive strands. Then the cells machinery is used to read the positive strand into five proteins. Two of these proteins are cut to create a total of seven proteins. After a required level of proteins is achieved the virus switches to a replication mode. Here it transcribes the positive strand back into negative copies and packages them into capsules. Then the virus lyses the cell and releases the new capsules.