Which statement best summarizes the central idea of the paragraph …

English Questions

Read the paragraph from The Hot Zone. She took up a scalpel and slit the monkey’s abdomen, making a slow and gentle cut, keeping the blade well away from her gloved fingers. The spleen was puffed up and tough, leathery, like a globe of smoked salami. She did not see any bloody lesions inside this monkey. She had expected that the monkey’s interior would be a lake of blood, but no, this monkey looked all right, it had not bled into itself. If the animal had died of Ebola, this was not a clear case. She opened up the intestine. There was no blood inside it. The gut looked okay. Then she examined the stomach. There she found a ring of bleeding spots at the junction between the stomach and the small intestine. This could be a sign of Ebola, but it was not a clear sign. It could also be a sign of simian fever, not Ebola. Therefore, she could not confirm the presence of Ebola virus in this animal based on a visual inspection of the internal organs during necropsy. Which statement best summarizes the central idea of this paragraph? 1. It is difficult to identify Ebola in dead specimens. 2. Performing a necropsy is a tedious procedure. 3. Signs of simian fever and Ebola can be similar. 4. Ebola has unusual effects on infected monkeys. 5. Mark this and return

Short Answer

The key symptoms of Ebola and simian fever, particularly bloody lesions, complicate the diagnosis for medical professionals, as seen in a doctor’s dilemma regarding an ambiguous case of death. Understanding the overlapping symptoms is crucial for accurate diagnosis and highlights the challenges in distinguishing between these two diseases.

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Identify the Key Symptoms

The first step in understanding the relationship between Ebola and simian fever is to identify their key symptoms. In the case discussed, bloody lesions are a critical symptom. This similarity in symptoms raises questions about the definitive cause of death in the animal, making it essential to highlight the overlapping signs of these diseases.

Step 2: Analyze the Doctor’s Dilemma

The second step involves analyzing the doctor’s situation regarding the ambiguous symptoms. Upon observing the bloody lesions, he struggled to determine whether the cause of death was Ebola or simian fever. This uncertainty forms the crux of the problem, emphasizing that the signs of these two diseases can often complicate the diagnosis.

Step 3: Conclusion and Summary

In conclusion, the evidence suggests that the statement summarizing the main idea of the paragraph is option 3, which states that the signs of simian fever and Ebola can be similar. Getting clarity on this shared symptomatology is essential for accurate diagnosis, thereby underscoring the interconnectedness of these diseases and the challenges faced by medical professionals.

Related Concepts

Ebola

A viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the ebola virus, characterized by severe symptoms such as bleeding, organ failure, and high mortality rates.

Simian Fever

A term often used to describe diseases transmitted from primates to humans, presenting similar symptoms to ebola, typically involving febrile illness and bleeding.

Bloody Lesions

External or internal bleeding symptoms that present as sores or spots on the skin or mucous membranes, serving as critical indicators in diagnosing certain viral infections like ebola and simian fever.

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