Ebola Virus Explained

 What Makes Ebola So Dangerous?

How does Ebola manage to overpower the body’s complex defense system so quickly and effectively? Let’s break it down.

Ebola is a virus, a tiny entity made up of either RNA or DNA, surrounded by proteins and a protective hull. It cannot function on its own and can only survive and reproduce by infecting living cells. To combat such invaders, the human body relies on the immune system—a highly sophisticated network of defenses.

Typically, when a virus enters the body, dendritic cells, the “brains” of the immune system, coordinate a response. They activate various immune cells, including virus-fighting cells, support cells, and antibody-producing cells, which work together to eliminate the infection in a matter of days.

But Ebola directly targets and disrupts this system. The virus begins by infecting dendritic cells. It binds to the cell’s receptors, enters, dissolves its hull, and releases its genetic material and enzymes. Once inside, the virus hijacks the cell, disabling its protective mechanisms and turning it into a virus factory. Eventually, the infected cell bursts, releasing millions of new virus particles into the surrounding tissue.

Even worse, Ebola prevents the dendritic cells from activating the immune system. Instead, it tricks these cells into releasing signals that cause other immune cells to self-destruct prematurely. As a result, the body’s defenses are thrown into disarray.

Natural killer cells, which typically destroy infected cells, are also targeted by the virus and die before they can mount a defense. Meanwhile, Ebola infects macrophages and monocytes—cells that act as the body’s first line of defense. It manipulates these cells into sending signals to the blood vessels, causing them to leak fluid into surrounding tissues. This leads to internal bleeding and further chaos.

The virus also activates neutrophils, another type of immune cell, which are not equipped to fight viruses. These cells respond inappropriately, releasing signals that exacerbate the problem by triggering even more fluid leakage and inflammation.

Ebola doesn’t stop there. It attacks the liver, quickly killing liver cells and causing organ failure and additional internal bleeding. With multiple systems under attack simultaneously, the body is overwhelmed. It’s as if explosions are going off in every part of the immune system at once.

In a desperate attempt to fight back, the immune system unleashes a cytokine storm—a massive release of chemical signals that activate all its defenses at once. While this damages the virus, it also causes severe collateral damage, particularly to the blood vessels. Fluid loss intensifies, blood pours from various body openings, and dehydration becomes critical. With insufficient blood to supply oxygen to vital organs, the body begins to shut down. At this stage, the chance of survival is slim.

Currently, six out of ten people infected with Ebola do not survive.

Should We Panic?

No, absolutely not. While Ebola is terrifying and lethal, the fear it generates is often amplified by media coverage. The virus can only be transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of someone showing symptoms or from an infected animal, such as a bat. Avoiding such contact drastically reduces the risk of infection.

To put things in perspective: since June 2014, Ebola has claimed 5,000 lives. Meanwhile, the common flu kills up to 500,000 people annually, and malaria causes nearly one million deaths each year—roughly 3,000 every single day.