Epidemiology’s Fight Against Ebola

Question

by Carol Hand

Emile was a two-year-old boy living in Meliandou, a village in the West African nation of Guinea. In December 2013, Emile may have been bitten by a fruit bat, a common animal in West Africa. On December 26, he became ill. He died two days later. By January 14, his three-year-old sister, his mother, and his grandmother had also died. No one yet realized it, but researchers now believe Emile was patient zero—the first person to contract and begin spreading the Ebola virus during this outbreak. There have been more than two dozen Ebola outbreaks since the virus’s discovery in 1976. The 2014 outbreak quickly became by far the most devastating.

Excerpt from Epidemiology: The Fight Against Ebola & Other Diseases by Carol Hand published by ABDO Publishing © 2015 ABDO Consulting Group, Inc.
Which transition would best link this paragraph to a section about the effects of Ebola?
1. When Emile got sick, he may have experienced symptoms such as...
2. Ebola cases affect people like Emile and his family because...
3. Ebola has several effects on the body, including...
4. Ebola's ability to devastate populations is a result of ...
I believe number 3 makes sense. What is your opinion?

Answer 1

While option 3 ("Ebola has several effects on the body, including...") is a reasonable choice and could work, option 2 ("Ebola cases affect people like Emile and his family because...") may provide a smoother transition. This option directly addresses the impact of Ebola on individuals and families, making it relevant to Emile's story and the broader consequences of the outbreak, which would naturally lead into discussing the effects of the virus on those affected.

Both options have merit, but if the goal is to maintain a narrative flow that connects Emile's experience to the wider impact of Ebola, option 2 might be the best choice.