How Ebola Kills and the Challenges of Stopping It

Ebola is a wily pathogen that, after entering the body through bodily fluids, targets key immune cells. Instead of mounting a targeted response, the virus disables the adaptive immune system, allowing it to spread rapidly through the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and kidneys.

This causes tissue damage and a cytokine storm, leading to multiple organ failure. Later symptoms include severe vomiting and diarrhea, which can cause patients to lose over 2.5 gallons of fluids daily, often resulting in death for about half of those infected.

However, supportive care—such as replacing fluids, managing blood pressure, and treating secondary infections—can significantly improve survival rates. In under-resourced areas like the Democratic Republic of Congo, delivering this care is extremely challenging due to limited medical facilities, protective gear constraints, and the need for rapid patient triage.

In contrast, patients treated in the U.S. have a much higher survival rate (9 out of 11) due to advanced care like dialysis and ventilators.

The current outbreak in the DRC faces additional hurdles from ongoing conflict and the lack of approved vaccines and treatments for the specific Ebola strain circulating.