NAME: ONeil D. Cerdea ANSWERS HERE: 1.

STUDENT NO: 2011025398

The virologists determined the identity of the virus causing the disease by first going to the site wherein the virus was prevalent, which is in Zaire in Africa only. The virologist acquired samples that they will use in studying, observing the virus and knowing its identity. Having the knowledge that the Motaba virus was contained in Africa, they did not expect that an epidemic would occur. As one patient was infected and spread to another, new cases alerted the CDC and the government and points to a similar strain of virus. The virologists tracked the epidemic from a set of cases that tells where the spread of the virus started, and leads to a certain host which is a monkey that carries two strains of the Motaba. With the knowledge of Sam Daniels and his team that the monkey carries the virus they conquered it by using the antibody present in the monkey and was used to make the cure for the people living in the city.

2.

The Motaba virus was life threatening even before, because once the virus has been successfully transmitted by the host by direct contact, in a matter of hours the virus could infect one cell, replicate, kills the cell, and then continues to multiply until all cells are destroyed making the virus all that is left. The mutation of the Motaba Virus became more dangerous when the virologist found out that a new strain from the same host was capable for airborne transmission, which shows that the strain has a different protein code which makes it survive longer in the air. Unlike the first two victims who had a similar strain but transmitted by direct contact, which is the scratch and the spew of the monkey (host) to the patients.

3.

The movie related to my life by showing that even a sneeze or cough by a certain person in an area filled with many people like a school, could already be starting point of an epidemic, which makes me more cautious. With the frequent hand washing, disinfecting with the use of alcohol or even covering your mouth when you sneeze and cough could already save lives of different people and even yourself, so with the right discipline contamination or spreading can be limited or prevented. I do agree with what Lederberg stated. Within the whole movie Ive realized that when man faced the circumstance of getting sick and die from a virus, which is billions lesser in size, the people in authority or power were willing to kill or destroy a whole city infected by the Motaba virus. Immoral as it can be, the government thought of it as the only option or the last resort in saving the majority. With that example it just showed that man felt weak and helpless, because of a virus, the people were rattled and confused in making the ethical and right decision. It does show that a single and very small virus could actually threaten the dominance of man, just like Joshua Lederberg said.

4.

Outbreak-Synthesis Essay 3MB 2 September 2013

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