MMSL 2019, 88(1):11-18 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2018.031

THE ROLE OF THE MILITARY SECTOR DURING EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN WEST AFRICAReview article

Vanda Boštíková ORCID...
Katedra epidemiologie, Fakulta vojenského zdravotnictví, Univerzita obrany, Česká republika

Epidemie Eboly v západní Africe byla v pořadí 25. dosud známou epidemií tohoto vysoce nebezpečného virového agens, od prvního záchytu viru v roce 1976. Bývalý Sovětský svaz zkoumal virus Eboly z pohledu možné biologické zbraně v období studené války. V devadesátých letech dvacátého století se japonská sekta  Aum Shinrikyo pokusila získat a zneužít tento virus pro bioteroristické účely.
Epidemie Eboly v západní Africe, která proběhla mezi lety 2013 – 2016 se stala stěžejní zátěžovou záležitostí pro světový zdravotnický systém a opětovně poukázala na možnou roli specializovaných armádních složek (zemětřesení na Haiti - 2010, likvidace následků škod po tajfunu na Filipínách - 2013).  Ebolou onemocnělo 28 616 obyvatel Libérie, Sierra Leone a Guinei; 11 310 zemřelo. Další země - Mali, Nigérie, Senegal, Itálie, Španělsko, Velká Británie a USA se musely vypořádat minimálně s jedním případem onemocnění a zamezením šíření epidemie na jejich územích.
Přibližně deset až patnáct tisíc vyléčených osob se nadále potýká s důsledky onemocnění. Jde především o dlouhodobé problémy oftalmologického rázu, bolesti břicha, zažívacího traktu, nespavost,  velmi silné bolesti hlavy. Velmi palčivou otázkou současnosti jsou pak rekurentní infekce u přeživších.

Keywords: armáda; Ebola; virus; vakcína; zdravotnický systém; západní Afrika; NATO; Sierra Leone; Libérie; Guinea

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was the 25th known epidemic of this highly dangerous viral agent since its first capture in 1976. The former Soviet Union explored the Ebola virus as a possible biological weapon during the Cold War. In the 1990s, the Japanese sect AumShinrikyo attempted to acquire and exploit this virus for bioterrorist purposes.The Ebola epidemic in West Africa, which took place between 2013 and 2016, has become a major burden on the world health system. The outbreak has again highlighted the possible role of specialized army components (as well as Haiti earthquake in 2010, disaster recovery after the typhoon in the Philippines in 2013). Ebola affected 28 616 inhabitants of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea; 11 310 died. Other countries - Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the US had to deal with at least one case of disease and prevent the spread of the epidemic in their territories.Approximately ten to fifteen thousand cured people continue to face the consequences of the disease. These are, in particular, long-term problems of ophthalmological pain, abdominal pain, digestive tract, insomnia, very severe headaches. A very hot issue today is then recurrent infections in survivors.

Keywords: army; Ebola; virus; vaccine; health system; West Africa; NATO; Sierra Leone; Liberia; Guinea

Received: June 6, 2018; Accepted: August 14, 2018; Prepublished online: October 25, 2018; Published: March 8, 2019  Show citation

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Boštíková, V. (2019). THE ROLE OF THE MILITARY SECTOR DURING EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN WEST AFRICA. MMSL, 88(1), 11-18. doi: 10.31482/mmsl.2018.031
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