Ebola
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Ebola is the name for a group of viruses (genus Ebola, family Filoviridae) responsible for hemorrhagic fever. The disease affects both humans and primates causing death for 50-90% of cases. [1]
The Ebola virus was recognized in 1976 and was named after the river, in the Republic of Congo, where it was first found. It is an RNA virus in the family Filoviride. [2] Four types of the virus have been identified so far. The three types that have caused disease in humans are; Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, and Ebola-Ivory. The last type is Ebola-Reston. A small number of people in the U.S. were infected with Ebola-Reston, but did not show any symptoms of illness. Other than that, the disease has only been found in parts of Africa. [3]
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Causes
The origin of the Ebola virus is unknown. From current evidence, researchers think that the virus is zoonotic (animal-borne). Most commonly the animal host is native to Africa. Cases of Ebola in humans have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sudan, the Ivory Coast, and Uganda. [4] The disease is spread in humans by direct contact with infected animals. Also, it can be passed from human to human through contact with blood, bodily fluids, feces, and secretions from an infected person, or though direct contact with the virus, such as in a laboratory. [5]
Symptoms
Symptoms of Ebola appear anywhere within 2-21 days of contact with the virus. [6] The early signs of infection are arthritis, lower backaches, diarrhea, headache, fatigue, nausea, sore throat, and vomiting. These symptoms occur within a week of acquiring the disease. [7] After about a week the symptoms get more serious, including massive internal bleeding problems. A patient will be spitting up blood from the lungs, vomiting blood from the stomach, and suffering from nose bleeds and bleeding eyes. [8] The final symptoms are chest pain, shock, and death. [9] [10] A person may die as soon as 10 days after infection. [11]
Treatment
As of right now, there is no cure for the Ebola virus. Existing antiviral medicines have not been effective against the virus. [12] Diagnosis of Ebola is difficult because the early symptoms are congruent to other diseases that are more common. [13] When a person is diagnosed with Ebola, supportive therapy should begin immediately. Balancing the patient’s fluids and electrolytes, as well as maintaining oxygen levels and blood pressure, and treating any other infection, gives the patient the best chance of survival. [14] Sometimes a patient will receive platelet or blood transfusion because of bleeding.
Prevention
Since the origin of the disease is unknown, the only thing that can be done to prevent Ebola from spreading is isolating the disease. It is best if the Ebola is detected early both for the patient and the surrounding people. When treating Ebola, the doctors and nursing staff must wear protective gear. This means wearing masks, gloves gowns, and goggles. All unprotected persons should not have any contact with Ebola patients, and all equipment should be completely sterilized so that nobody else comes in direct contact with the virus. These safety precautions to avoid contact should also be taken with deceased victims and infected animals. [15]
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See Also
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