Historical analysis of the Ebola virus: prospective implications for primary care nursing today

Ebola continues to attract worldwide attention as a highly lethal virus of unknown origin that leaves victims bleeding to death and has no known vaccine or cure. The purpose of this historical research was to review and analyze the primary and secondary sources available on Ebola for use by primary care nurses in the event of future outbreaks. A rich resource of history has been well documented by some of the original physicians, virologists, and members of international teams, but nothing was found to be documented by nurses during these outbreaks. Multiple themes emerged including the origins of the viral strains of Ebola, transmission factors, epidemiology, virology, nonhuman and genetic research, treatment, and clinical implications. This research will provide primary care nurses with historical information about Ebola to help in future treatment options and algorithm development.