MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES.

2021/2022 ACADEMIC YEAR.

STUDENT NAME: PHERIDA FRIDAH BANDA

STUDENT NUMBER: 201901607

COURSE: VIROLOGY

COURSE CODE: BIO 342

ASSIGNMENT NUMBER: ONE (1)

LECTURER’S NAME: MR. DERRICK BANDA

 Pathogenesis is the manner of development of a disease or is the process by which
viruses produce a disease in the host.  The factors that determine the viral
transmission, multiplication, dissemination, and development of disease in the host
involve complex and dynamic interactions between the virus and the susceptible host.
The viral life cycle can be divided into several major stages: attachment, entry,
uncoating, replication, maturation, and release.

There are different and several viral diseases of which two are Ebola and SARS-2
Coronavirus, both of these diseases are deadly and an insight of Ebola explains that
Ebola is a virus that causes severe bleeding, organ failure and can lead to death.The
pathogenesis of Ebola or rather the manner in which the disease of Ebola is occurs in
such a way that Ebola virus enters the patient through mucous membranes, breaks in
the skin, or parenterally and infects many cell types, including monocytes,
macrophages, dendritic cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, hepatocytes, adrenal
cortical cells, and epithelial cells. The incubation period may be related to the
infection route (6 days for injection versus 10 days for contact). Ebola virus migrates
from the initial infection site to regional lymph nodes and subsequently to the liver,
spleen, and adrenal gland. Although not infected by Ebola virus, lymphocytes undergo
apoptosis resulting in decreased lymphocyte counts. Hepatocellular necrosis occurs
and is associated with dysregulation of clotting factors and subsequent coagulopathy.
Adrenocortical necrosis also can be found and is associated with hypotension and
impaired steroid synthesis. Ebola virus appears to trigger a release of pro-
inflammatory cytokines with subsequent vascular leak and impairment of clotting
ultimately resulting in multiorgan failure and shock.
 Scientists do not know where Ebola virus comes from. Based on similar viruses,
they believe EVD is animal-borne, with bats or nonhuman primates being the most
likely source. Infected animals carrying the virus can transmit it to other animals, like
apes, monkeys, duikers and humans. Ebola virus disease (EVD), one of the deadliest
viral diseases, was discovered in 1976 when two consecutive outbreaks of fatal
hemorrhagic fever occurred in different parts of Central Africa. The first outbreak
occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) in a village near the
Ebola River, which gave the virus its name. The second outbreak occurred in what is
now South Sudan, approximately 500 miles (850 km) away.

Initially, public health officials assumed these outbreaks were a single event
associated with an infected person who traveled between the two locations. However,
scientists later discovered that the two outbreaks were caused by two genetically
distinct viruses: Zaire Ebola virus and Sudan Ebola virus. After this discovery,
scientists concluded that the virus came from two different sources and spread
independently to people in each of the affected areas.

Ebola virus morphology is made up of a cell membrane, nuclear proteins, outer

glycoproteins and genetic material which is RNA plus an enzyme polymerase with
V40 and V30 which helps in viral replication Ebola is transmission into human beings
happens through infected animals such as Fruit bats which a Bats are a well-known
mixing pot for viruses, some of which can spread to other animals and humans. The
origins of diseases such as Sars and Ebola can be traced back to these flying
mammals, and they have also been implicated in the spread of the new deadly Mers
virus. The fruit bats transmit Ebola to humans when humans get into contact with the
infected fruits bat’s blood circulation or other bodily fluids.

The fruit bat gets infected when the Ebola virus gets in contact with the fruit bat’s
cell. The Ebola virus is made up of glycoproteins which makes it possible for the
fruits bat’s cell to recognize the Ebola virus. Once the Ebola virus enters the cell of
the fruit bat, the Ebola virus releases its content that is the genetic materials, the
nuclear proteins and the polymerase too. What happens essentially is that the genetic
material is replicated and will go through translation and transcription to create other
structures that the Ebola virus requires. This Ebola virus will highjack the fruit bat’s
cell and its genetic material will be packaged up again into multiple Ebola virus and
the Virus keeps on replicating. The fruit bar is actually an optimal and conducive
environment for the virus. The infected bat can transmit the Ebola virus to humans
and the mortality rate of Ebola is 50% to 90%.

In humans the human immune cell which helps defend the human body against
Ebola virus eats the virus which leads to replication of the virus making the immune
cells infected. After being infected the immune cells secret inflammatory molecules
which causes inflammatory process. The multiple Ebola viruses can now infect other
cells and can bind to glycoprotein receptors and repeat the replication process within
the fruit bat’s cell and the process continues.

After infection the symptoms and Signs begin to show abs these include fever,
sore throat, headache and inflammation then progressive signs later on begin which
includes impaired liver, impaired kidney, shock, coma, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash,
coughing of blood and bleeding from inside a d outside of the body through ears, eyes
and nose. Ebola can be diagnosed through the Elisa method, antigen recognition and
PCR Assay.

Ebola is a rare but serious illness caused by a virus. You can prevent Ebola
by staying away from areas where there are active outbreaks and by avoiding contact
with people who have it. If you suspect exposure to Ebola or have symptoms, seek
care immediately. You can also use infection control measures and wear protective
clothes. Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after contact with the
virus, with an average of 8 to 10 days. The course of the illness typically progresses
from “dry” symptoms initially (such as fever, aches and pains, and fatigue), and then
progresses to “wet” symptoms (such as diarrhea and vomiting) as the person becomes
sicker.

Primary signs and symptoms of Ebola often include some or several of the following:

Fever

• Aches and pains, such as severe headache and muscle and joint pain

• Weakness and fatigue

• Sore throat

• Loss of appetite

• Gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting

• Unexplained hemorrhaging, bleeding or bruising

Other symptoms may include red eyes, skin rash, and hiccups (late-stage).

Many common illnesses can have the same symptoms as EVD, including influenza
(flu), malaria, or typhoid fever.

EVD is a rare but severe and often deadly disease. Recovery from EVD depends on
good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. Survivors of Ebola
virus infection have antibodies (proteins made by the immune system that identify and
neutralize invading viruses) that can be detected in the blood up to 10 years after
recovery.

SARS-2 (CORONAVIRUS).

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can infect humans or animals.
Sometimes an animal coronavirus can change so that it can infect people and become
a human coronavirus. There are seven known types of human coronaviruses. Four
types (229E, NL63, OC43, and KHU1) are common and cause mild to moderate
respiratory infections, like the common cold. Two types, Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
coronavirus (MERS-CoV), can cause severe respiratory infections. The seventh type
(SARS-CoV-2) is the newest coronavirus. It first emerged in the Wuhan Province in
China in December 2019. The infectious respiratory disease caused by this virus was
named Coronavirus Disease 2019, or more commonly COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2

virus. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate
respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. However, some
will become seriously ill and require medical attention. Older people and those with
underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic
respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. Anyone can
get sick with COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die at any age.

STAGES OF INFECTION.

• Stage 1 is the early viral response. Symptoms range from mild to severe and may
include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches,
headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea or
vomiting, and diarrhea.

• Stage 2 is when the virus moves into your lungs and causes pneumonia. This is the
critical stage where you must watch closely for trouble breathing, chest pain and
confusion.

• Stage 3 is when your lungs go into a hyper inflammatory response, which can lead
to sepsis and organ failure.
TRANSMISSION.

Person to person.

Direct person to person respiratory transmission is the primary means of transmission

of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is thought to
occur mainly through close range contact such as within approximately six feet or two
meters via respiratory particles; virus released in respiratory secretions when a person
with infection coughs, sneezes, or talk can infect another person if it is inhaled or
makes direct contact with the mucous membranes.

Infection might also occur if a person’s hands are contaminated by these secretions or

by touching contaminated surfaces and then they touch their eyes, nose, or mouth,
although contaminated surfaces are not thought to be major route of transmission.

SARS-CoV-2 can also be transmitted longer distances through airborne route (through

inhalation of particles that remain in the air over time and distance). But the extent to
which this mode of transmission has contributed to the pandemic is uncertain.

The SARS virus is transmitted aerogenically with an incubation time of two to 10

days. Clinically, fever and a marked shortness of breath is noted, developing into a
severe atypical pneumonia with new pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiography.
Shedding of virus is by respiratory discharges. Whether the virus present in other
body fluids and excreta plays a decisive role for virus transmission is not yet clear.

Infected carriers are able to shed viruses into the environment. The interaction of the
coronavirus spike protein with its complementary cell receptor is central in
determining the tissue tropism, infectivity, and species range of the released virus.
Coronaviruses mainly target epithelial cells. They are transmitted from one host to
another host, depending on the coronavirus species, by either an aerosol, fomite, or
fecal-oral route.

Human coronaviruses infect the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, while animal
coronaviruses generally infect the epithelial cells of the digestive tract. SARS
coronavirus, for example, infects the human epithelial cells of the lungs via an aerosol
route by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor.
Transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV) infects the pig epithelial cells of the
digestive tract via a fecal-oral route by binding to the Alanine aminopeptidase (APN)
receptor.

SYMPTOMS.

COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will
develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.

Most common symptoms:

• Fever

• Cough

• Tiredness

• Loss of taste or smell

Less common symptoms:

• Sore Throat

• Headache

• Aches and Pains

• Diarrhea

• A rash on skin, or Discoloration of fingers or toes

• Red or irritated eyes

Serious symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing or Shortness of breath

• Loss of speech or Mobility, or Confusion

• Chest pain

People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should manage their
symptoms at home. On average it takes 5 to 6 days from when someone is infected
with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days.

RISK.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission is known to be associated with high population density

due to increased social mixing, which is consistent with our finding of higher odds of
a positive test in urban areas. Social deprivation has been associated with increased
risk of other respiratory infections, and there is evidence that the risk of COVID-19-
related death is higher in more deprived parts of England, although this analysis has
not been adjusted for potential confounders.

EPIDEMIOLOGY.

In November 2002, an outbreak of atypical pneumonia, later termed SARS, occurred

in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou (Guangdong Province). Only in February
of 2003, the world was alerted about the lung disease, shortly before it escaped China,
when a Guangdong resident in a Hong Kong hotel transmitted it to other guests who
spread it to Toronto, Hanoi, Singapore, and elsewhere. Transmission of the virus is by
droplets, but close contact (“household transmission”) with possibly other routes of
transmission seems important. The only preventive measure to date is exposure
prevention. Under therapy with ribavirin and intensive care, mortality of SARS is
around.
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•_Coonaviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of

Viruses. The species severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus:
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