Ebola Virus in Africa

These days there are news of Ebola virus all around. Ebola virus in West Africa is killing people. Ebola Virus was first identified in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread to Sudan, with a reported 602 people infected and 431 people died. Since 1976, the virus has spread up around Africa with claiming lives in several countries.

In 1995, Virus killed 250 people in Congo, in 2000-01 virus killed 224 people in Uganda, in 2007 virus killed 187 people in Congo again, and in 2014 virus is again killing people in Nigeria, Liberia, Uganda, Congo, Guinea, USA. From African countries, this is spreading to USA, India, and other small countries. Doctors are working for 14 hours days, seven days a week for saving people life. The symptoms of this virus are High fever, Headache, Joint and Muscle Aches, sore throat, Weakness, Stomach Pain, and Lack of Appetite. As the disease gets worse, it causes bleeding inside the body, as well as from the eyes, ears, and nose.

Ebola virus is becoming a threat to PCs too. Cyber criminals are using the fear of the virus as bait leading to malware infections. Anti-virus experts have already found three malware operations and one phishing campaign using the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa as a Social Engineering theme. Two of the malware used the most common and logical route of email with a catchy subject line so that victims open the report and are infected by Trojan. Apart from infecting victim computer, it also lodge itself into their web browser so as to gain access to various passwords and files.

Ebola is not as contagious as more common viruses such as colds, influenza, and measles. It spreads to people by contact with the skin or bodily fluids of an infected animal, like a monkey, chimp, or fruit bat. Then it moves from person to person in the same way. Those who care for a sick person or bury someone who has died from the disease often get it. Other ways to get Ebola is by touching contaminated needles or surfaces. One cannot get Ebola from air, water, or food. A person who has Ebola but has no symptoms cannot spread the disease.