Ebola

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ebola

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the virus genus?Ebolavirus
2. What is the natural reservoir?Fruit bats (Pteropodidae)
3. How does Ebola spread from animals to people?Ebola comes from animals like fruit bats that carry the virus without getting sick. People can catch it when they hunt, butcher, or handle infected animals.
4. How does Ebola infect a person's body?The virus enters through mucous membranes or broken skin and attacks immune cells called macrophages and dendritic cells. Inside the cells, it makes more viruses, causing inflammation and sometimes bleeding.

Pathogenesis: The process by which a disease develops, including the steps by which a pathogen causes damage to the host.
Cytokine Storm: A severe, potentially fatal immune reaction where the body releases too many cytokines, leading to widespread inflammation.
Zoonotic Spillover: The transmission of a pathogen from a non-human animal population to a human population.
Case Fatality Rate: The proportion of individuals diagnosed with a specific disease who die from that disease.