It's not yet confirmed, and not many know about it too, but there many be a number of people in West Africa immune to the Ebola virus. Assuming that the virologists who suggested this are right, the fight against the recent outbreak may be facilitated in several different aspects. Those immune can tend the sick and bury the dead since they don't run the risk of being contaminated, and also have their blood harvested to help treat victims. However, before making plans for the future, scientists must first confirm the fact that immune people exist and distinguish how many of them are present. The biggest mystery is how the immunity arose. The most probable explanation is that Africans consumed low doses of the virus by eating infected, under-cooked monkeys or bats, or contaminated fruits that bats gnawed on and left saliva.This made their bodies develop specific antibodies against the virus and help resist the symptoms. A test was done to find the percentage of people who had these antibodies from randomly selected villages. The results varied widely, and so did the levels of antibodies in each examined person . A test was done where an experimental drug called ZMapp, containing cloned antibodies, was given to the first Americans to get the virus. However, his recovery was unclear whether the drug or the blood transfusion had saved him. Unfortunately, relying on immune people to help treat the disease is not supposed to be an option for scientists and according to Dr. Garry, a Tulane University expert in hemorrhagic fevers, "it's time for creative solutions."
Donald C. McNeil Jr., author of this article, explains the possibility of people who are immune to the Ebola virus. After giving a short introduction on the topic, starts using direct quotes from scientists and other experts involved in the case. By doing this he is able to make his writing credible and also show his audience what the experts have to say on the case. His word choice and short paragraphs make the article very fluid and easy to read. By adding a Q&A link that takes the readers to a page full explanations and graphs, he is able to rid many questions of those who are not very aware on the Ebola and give some background information on the virus. However, despite all the fluid and informative article, McNeil's writing does contain one minor flaw. On several occasions he repeats the fact that immunity arises from eating contaminated fruits and animals. Although it is very minor, it stands out due since his paragraphs are short. After reading 7 or 8 lines, readers come across the very same information for about three times, which, in my opinion, is unnecessary.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/health/ebola-immunity.html
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