Table 1.

Contingency Table of SWOTs Analysis of Ebola virus.

	HELPFUL TO ACHIEVING THE PATHOGENIC OBJECTIVE	HARMFUL TO ACHIEVING THE PATHOGENIC OBJECTIVE
Internal factors (attributes of the ebola virus)	STRENGTHS OF EBOLA VIRUS (i) Ebola virus is an RNA virus with inherent capability to mutate, reassort and recombine to generate mutant or reassortant virulent strains. (ii) Ebola virus has a broad cellular tropism. (iii) Natural reservoir of Ebola virus is unconfirmed but fruit bats, arthropods, and plants re hypothesized. (iv) Ebola virus primarily targets and selectively destroys the immune system. (v) Ebola viruses possess accessory proteins that inhibits the hosts’ immune responses. (vi) Secreted glycoprotein (sGP), a truncated soluble protein that triggers immune activation and increased vascular permeability is uniquely associated with ebola virus only. (vii) Ability to effectively cross the species barrier and establish productive infection in humans, non human primates, and other mammals. (viii) Ebola virus attacks every parts of the human body. (ix) Multiple portals of virion entry. (x) Transmission is enhanced by direct intimate person to person contact. (xi) Ebola virus is highly infectious at very low doses and has a short incubation period. (xii) Ebola induces severe haemorrhage and DIC on infection. (xiii) Ebola elicits complications and induces multisystem collapse. (xiv) Absence of carrier state and high mortality. (xv) Confounding pattern of signs, symptoms and illdefined clinical course (xiv) Absence of carrier state and high mortality. (xv) Confounding pattern of signs, symptoms and ill-defined clinical course	WEAKNESSES OF EBOLA VIRUS (i) Ebola virus transmission and persistence is severely limited by its virulence. (ii) Ebola virus essentially requires host encoded protein, Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) for host’s cell’ entry. (iii) Ebola virus essentially requires host encoded proteins (TIM-1) for cell’ entry. (iv) Relative abundance of Ebola virus Nucleoprotein than the other virion components.
External factors	OPPORTUNITIES FOR EBOLA VIRUS (i) Lack of infection control practices in African health-care facilities and paucity of health infrastructures, especially in the endemic zones. (ii) Permissiveness of circulating Monocytes, Macrophages and dendritic cells in virus mobilization and dissemination. (iii) Collection, consumption and trade of wild games (bushmeat). (iv) Perturbation and drastic changes in forest ecosystems present opportunities for Ebola virus. (v) Use of dogs in hunting predisposes man and animals to inter-species contact. (vi) Poverty, malnutrition, crowding, social disorder, mobility and political instability. (vii) Ease of travel and aviation as potentials for global spread. (viii) Possible mechanical transmission by arthropods vectors. (ix) Emotional and behavioral disposition of susceptible host by direct contact with the body or funeral apparels of deceased EVD patient. (x) Demographics: Changes in the age, race, gender, culture of residents in areas of outbreaks. (xi) Inappropriate or damaging evolution of effective defenses (cytokine storm) against the virus by the human and non human primates hosts.	THREATS TO EBOLA VIRUS (i) Avoidance of direct contact with infected blood and other bodily fluids of infected persons. (ii) Improved surveillance to prevent potential spread of epidemic. (iii) Appropriate and correct burial practices. (iv) Adoption of barrier Nursing. (v) Making available rapid laboratory equipment and procedures for prompt detection (ELISA, Western Blot, PCR). (vi) Sterilization or disinfection of equipment and safe disposal of instrument. (vii) Active contact tracing and monitoring. (viii) Prompt hospitalization, isolation and quarantine of infected individual. (ix) Handling of all EBOV samples in BSL-4 facility, or minimum BSL-3. (x) Future development and availability of pre- and post exposure prophylactics and therapeutics. (xi) Use of crematorium to dispose of carcasses.