Fever 1793
By: Jackson Schwedler, Naomi Kim, Mikayla Martin, Cole Jaramillo, and Isabella Turlington
Research Paper of Diseases Throughout History (Ebola and Yellow Fever)
Our Question: In what ways can we prevent the issues presented in diseases throughout history?
Yellow Fever
Yellow Fever, known historically as yellow jack, yellow plague, or bronze john, is an acute viral disease. Yellow fever virus is found in tropical and subtropical areas in South America and Africa. The virus is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Yellow fever is a very rare cause of illness in U.S. travelers. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains particularly in the back, and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In some people within a day of improving, the fever comes back, abdominal pain occurs, and liver damage begins causing yellow skin. If this occurs, the risk of bleeding and kidney problems is also increased. The disease is caused by the yellow fever virus and is spread by the bite of the female mosquito. It infects only humans, other primates, and several species of mosquitoes. In cities, it is spread primarily by mosquitoes of the Aedes Aegypti species. The virus is an RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus. The disease may be difficult to tell apart from other illnesses, especially in the early stages. To confirm a suspected case, blood sample testing with polymerase chain reaction is required.
The yellow fever was resolved in three ways; two of which were the most effective. The least effective way was blood-letting. Blood-letting is when you take blood away from one’s body to remove any disease (as performed and said from Doctor Benjamin Rush). Dr. Rush also recommended to cleanse a victim’s body every few hours with clean water. Another way the fever was resolved, were French doctors. Not much was given in the book, only that the main character and many others survived the fever from French doctors, who had previous experience. Having more facts on the cure, Dr. Deveze (a French doctor) was against Dr. Rush’s idea of blood-letting, and made a gentle approach to cure the fever. Of course many American doctors viewed this as if they were minors to the doctor (and other French doctors), but there weren’t any statistics back then to prove that French doctors were incompetent. The last way the fever was resolved, was the “First Frost”. This term was used by Philadelphians (Philadelphia people) when snow or ice would first fall. From the information in “Yellow Fever Facts” above, a species of mosquito called the Aedes Aegypti species (which are the main ones), are the causes of the Yellow Fever. That means when frost comes, the mosquito’s die away.
Ebola
when there was a major outbreak of Ebola in west Africa in 2014. In the outbreak it killed 4,877 people. During this time there were few survivors. The total amount of survivors were very little compared to the death rate. Currently there is no cure. Doctors are working on a drug to cure it. Isolation helps keep the disease in one place so it does not spread. In America the death rate was very low because the victims were put into isolation.Ebola was the top thing to worry about in Africa because it is a very deadly disease and no one can escape from it since it spreads as fast as you can count to 10.This disease originated in Africa but it also spread to America. Most of the outbreaks occur in Africa because the conditions are perfect for the deadly Ebola virus to thrive.
In 2014, we can conclude that ebola caused a negative uproar in Texas. Many were afraid to leave homes for trips to sites in Texas, and some managed their way of avoiding the spots that ebola has been talked about. Having the news broadcast a topic on an ebola-victim escaping the hospital, more and more citizens and families were keeping their children indoors and away from the outdoor terror. Though now in 2015 the ebola virus has disappeared without any victims in Texas (of course still affecting the people in Africa) the virus is still something to be cautious about.
Vitamin C is a very great solution to Ebola. Enough of this vitamin, and it can take the virus out. This is because vitamin C easily slips throughout the body, and like many vitamins; supercharges the function of the white blood cell. The vitamin does something known as a Fenton Reaction that can occur within Ebola, and even on it. Even though medical care may lack in other areas of the world, we can still protect them from the deadly virus. By quickly warding and isolating patients, minimal contact can occur. Also, the air condition and the people who touch the patients must be cleaned very thoroughly. Also, we need to monitor people who come in contact with this patients for 21 days, and states must go 41 days before being declared Ebola free. Blood tests must be taken every few hours of possible Ebola patients, and also those with Ebola. Many camps have been set up in Africa with low living conditions but still serve their purpose as to help those who have Ebola in the African countries.
Citations
http://www.livescience.com/48359-nigeria-how-ebola-was-contained.html
Nigeria: How Ebola Was Contained in Africa's Largest City
Yes, the info I used from this site basically said that although the conditions for Ebola in Nigeria are perfect for thriving, we can easily contain any outbreaks that occur there by isolating patients. This is important to the project because it provides a solution to Ebola outbreaks, just like the yellow fever with the frost.
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/p0220-ebola-containment-strategy.html
Ebola containment strategy succeeding in Liberia
Yes, this source provided me info on different ways to contaminate Ebola in different parts of the world where they don’t have as developed hospitals as the U.S.. This is useful to our project because I can provide examples on how to contain Ebola.
http://www.naturalhealth365.com/natural_cures/ebola-virus-thomas-levy-1095.html
The Ebola virus can be destroyed naturally – despite what you’ve been told
Yes, I used this source. Basically, this source told me that vitamin C is a very good solution for Ebola.
This can be used in our project because it will not only provide us with a solution, but a very prominent
Solution to include.
http://rubyrockets.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/vitamincinskincare.png
This is an image of oranges with the label vitamin C. It shows us how simple it really is to intake vitamin C; by just eating a few oranges. This is useful to the project because it provides a simple visual to enhance the reader’s thoughts.
o http://www.librarycompany.org/FindingAids/Malignant%20Fever%202014-09-22.pdf
o This link describes Doctor Benjamin Rush and how he came to cure the yellow fever with blood-letting, which wasn’t very efficient (French Doctors mentioned in book seemed more efficient
o http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Benjamin_Rush_Painting_by_Peale_1783.jpg
o Picture of Doctor Benjamin Rush
o http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/contagion/images/yellowfever.jpg
o What Dr. Rush had said about the yellow fever picture
o http://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Yellow-Fever-1793-jpg-575x447.jpg
o Number of deaths from Yellow Fever chart
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001339.htm