First Case of Ebola in History Ebola hemorrhagic fever was first recognized during an outbreak in the Republic of Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. On August 28, 1976 a 44-year-old male entered the Yambuku Catholic Mission (YHM) in the Bumba zone of northern Zaire, complaining of a high fever. He was treated for malaria with an injection of chloroquine. The course of treatment was initially effective, however within three days, his fever returned and other symptoms began to emerge, including gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient died in the hospital on September 8. Within the same month, YHM was forced to close because 11 out of its 17 staff members had succumbed to the same deadly infection. The disease spread to 55 villages in the surrounding area, infecting 318 individuals, 280 of whom died by the end of October. Investigations revealed that YMH was the major source of dissemination of Ebola. Every morning the nursing staff received five syringes and needles to be used in the outpatient department, the prenatal clinic, and the inpatient wards. It was common practice to merely wash the needles in warm water. At the end of the day, they were sometimes boiled. These poor sterilization procedures were directly linked to the spread of Ebola virus by parenteral injection. Direct contact with infected blood or secretions was a secondary mode of transmission, usually seen in patients’ close family members. Since the first outbreak in Zaire, a number of other outbreaks have occurred throughout Africa, such as in Sudan, Uganda, and Cote D’Ivoire. Overall, roughly 1850 Ebola cases have occurred, and 1200 deaths have been documented. Ebola hemorrhagic fever is an extremely virulent and deadly disease that affects both humans and nonhuman primates, such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees. Certain outbreaks have had case fatality rates as high as 90 percent. Symptoms of Ebola include sudden fever, weakness, muscle pain, and sore throat. More extreme symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and live function, as well as internal and external bleeding, may occur. Patients infected with the virus usually die within several days of presenting symptoms. No cure for Ebola has yet been invented.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 15:17:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015