Ebola: Educate Yourself
October 16, 2014
Background
The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated. Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara, Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter occurred in a village near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.
The current outbreak in west Africa, (first cases notified in March 2014), is the
largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the Ebola virus was first discovered
in 1976. There have been more cases and deaths in this outbreak than all others combined.
It has also spread between countries starting in Guinea then spreading across land
borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia, by air (1 traveller only) to Nigeria, and by
land (1 traveller) to Senegal.
The most severely affected countries, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia have very weak
health systems, lacking human and infrastructural resources, having only recently
emerged from long periods of conflict and instability. On August 8, the WHO Director-General
declared this outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Transmission
It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts. Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.
Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through
broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily
fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing)
contaminated with these fluids.
Health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected
or confirmed EVD. This has occurred through close contact with patients when infection
control precautions are not strictly practiced.
Symptoms of Ebola virus disease (EVD)
The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms is 2 to 21 days. Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms. First symptoms are the sudden onset of fever fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding (e.g. oozing from the gums, blood in the stools). Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes.
EVD Frequently Asked Questions
Maintained by World Health Organization:
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/faq-ebola/en/
Source: World Health Organization, Ebola Fact Sheet