WHAT IS EBOLA VIRUS?The Ebola virus is described as a group ofviruses that cause a deadly kind ofhemorrhagic fever. The term hemorrhagicfev er means it causes bleeding inside andoutside the body. The virus has a longincubation period of approximately eight to21 days.Early symptoms include fever,muscle weaknessSore throat andHeadaches.As the disease progresses, the virus canimpair kidney and liver function and leadto external and internal bleeding. It’s one ofthe most deadly viruses on Earth with afatality rate that can reach betweenapproxim ately 50 to 90 percent.There is nocure.HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?The virus is transmitted through contactwith blood or secretions from an infectedperson, either directly or throughcontamin ated surfaces, needles or medicalequipmen t. A patient is not contagious untilhe or she starts showing signs of the disease.Thankfu lly, the virus is not airborne, whichmeans a person cannot get the diseasesimply by breathing the same air as aninfected patient.WHERE DID THE VIRUS COME FROM?The dangerous virus gets its name from theEbola River in the Democratic Republic ofCongo, which was near the site of one of thefirst outbreaks. The virus was first reportedin 1976 in two almost simultaneousout breaks in the Sudan and the DemocraticRepub lic of Congo. They killed 151 and 280people, respectively.Ce rtain bats living in tropical Africanforests are thought to be the natural hosts ofthe disease. The initial transmission of anoutbreak usually results from a wild animalinfecting a human, according to the WORLD HEALTHORGANIZAT ION (WHO)Once the disease infects a person, it is easilytransmiss ible between people in closecontact.Un til this outbreak, approximately 2,361people had been infected since the diseasewas identified in 1976. More than 1,548 ofthose infected died from it.WHO IS AT RISK?The virus is not airborne, which meansthose in close contact can be infected andare most at risk. A person sitting next to aninfected person, even if they are contagious,is not extremely likely to be infected.Health workers and caregivers of the sickare particularly at risk for the diseasebecause they work in close contact withinfected patients during the final stages ofthe disease when the virus can causeinternal and external bleeding.In this outbreak alone, more than 100health workers have been infected and atleast 50 of them have died, according to theWHO.HOW TO PREVENT EBOLA VIRUSPrevention and controlGood outbreak control relies on applying apackage of interventions, namely casemanagement, surveillance and contact tracing,a good laboratory service, safe burials andsocial mobilisation. Community engagement iskey to successfully controlling outbreaks.Raisi ng awareness of risk factors for Ebolainfection and protective measures thatindividuals can take is an effective way toreduce human transmission. Risk reductionmessag ing should focus on several factors:Reducin g the risk of wildlife-to-hum antransmission from contact with infectedfruit bats or monkeys/ apes and theconsumption of their raw meat. Animalsshould be handled with gloves and otherappropriate protective clothing. Animalproducts (blood and meat) should bethoroughly cooked before eatingTreatment and vaccinesSupport ive care-rehydratio n with oral orintravenous fluids- and treatment of specificsymptom s, improves survival. There is as yetno proven treatment available for EVD.However, a range of potential treatmentsinclu ding blood products, immune therapiesand drug therapies are currently beingevaluated. No licensed vaccines are availableyet, but its bilieved if you have a strong immune system itcan fight the virus on its on.First thing first dont get infected!
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 07:36:52 +0000