How did Ebola disappear?

It was once a feared contagion, but now the deadly Ebola virus has nearly disappeared from the headlines. How did this happen? While there are many factors that contributed to the near-eradication of this dangerous disease, it can be argued that globalization, increased funding for research and medical advances all played an important role in its disappearance.

To understand how Ebola disappeared, it is important first to understand what the disease is. Ebola is a severe and often fatal illness caused by one of five different strains of filoviruses. It is believed to originate in wild animals such as bats or monkeys that have come into contact with humans in certain areas of Africa. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, sore throat, headache, vomiting, and rash; more serious symptoms can include internal bleeding and organ failure. The mortality rate for those infected with Ebola can range from 25–90%, depending on the strain and treatment received.

Globalization has been a key factor in curbing the spread of Ebola outbreaks since 2014 when West African countries experienced their worst outbreak since 1976 when it was first discovered near River Ebola in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). Globalization allowed for better communication between countries and led to improved coordination among international health organizations including Doctors Without Borders and the World Health Organization (WHO). These organizations quickly responded to the outbreak, helping contain its spread through education campaigns about proper hygiene practices as well as providing medical support for those afflicted by the virus.

Another key factor contributing to the near disappearance of Ebola has been increased funding for research and development towards treatments and vaccines against this deadly virus. Following the 2014 outbreak, philanthropic organizations such as Bill Gates' The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged millions of dollars towards researching potential cures or treatments with pharmaceutical companies like Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson, and GSK leading efforts towards developing effective vaccines against Ebola. With so much money being funneled into finding ways to combat this virus, researchers have made significant strides in developing therapies that have proven effective at preventing infections or reducing severity if contracted. As a result of these advancements, cases have plummeted significantly over recent years due to early diagnosis which allows healthcare professionals to treat patients more quickly before it spreads further within communities via human-to-human transmission.

Finally, medical advances such as rapid diagnostics tests have enabled doctors to rapidly diagnose individuals who may be infected with Ebola before they become contagious which reduces transmission rates dramatically. This has been crucial in containing outbreaks since people can be isolated upon diagnosis rather than waiting for test results which would take days or even weeks under traditional methods thus greatly reducing the risk of further contagion within communities or across borders due to travel restrictions imposed during outbreaks.

In conclusion, while it is impossible to pinpoint one single cause for why Ebola has nearly disappeared from view today; it is clear that globalization combined with increased funding towards research coupled with improved medical technologies allowed us to make major strides towards understanding this deadly virus better enabling us to create effective treatments or vaccines against it thus containing future outbreaks effectively before they become pandemics as we witnessed back in 2014 when over 11000 people died due to this virus alone.