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 EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE (EBOLA)

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 EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE (EBOLA)

Ebola virus disease is a severe, and usually fatal illness in humans and other primates caused by the Ebola virus.

  • The condition which was formerly referred to as Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever has a high risk of death killing between 25% and 90% of people who are affected.
  • In 1976, the disease was first identified in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara (a town in South Sudan), and the other, in Yambuku (Democratic Republic of Congo), a village near the Ebola River from which the name of the disease was coined.
  • The largest and more complex (epidemic) outbreak of this condition occurred in 2014-2016 in some part of West Africa with 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths.
  • The outbreak mainly affected three countries in West Africa: Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. Some cases were also reported in some part of central Africa.
  • Ebola virus disease spread between these countries, starting in Guinea and then moving across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

CAUSES

Ebola virus disease in humans is caused by an infection with a virus of the Filoviridae family, genus Ebolavirus. Five species of the genus Ebolavirus has been identified: Zaire, Sudan, Taire Forest, Bundibugyo, and Reston.

The fatality rate of Ebola varies depending on the strain. Zaire Ebolavirus is the most dangerous and is responsible for the largest outbreak. This strain can have a fatality rate of up to 90%. Ebola-Reston has never caused fatality in humans but has caused diseases in other primates.

Ebola is thought to be a zoonotic virus, this means that it originates in animals and then spread to humans. Fruit bats are considered as natural Ebola virus hosts. Ebola enters the human population through contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals, like monkeys, chimpanzee, fruit bats, gorillas, baboons. It then moves from person to person the same way. Bodily fluids that may contain the virus includes tears, saliva, semen, breast milk, sweat, mucus, urine, and faeces.  Entry points for the virus include mouth, nose, eyes, open wounds, cut and abrasion.

According to the World Health Organization, only people who are seriously sick can spread the condition through saliva.

After recovery, Ebola may occur in breast milk, therefore it is not known when it is safe to breastfeed again.

The infection can also be transmitted through contact with surfaces and objects contaminated with the virus.

The Ebola virus may persist in the semen for many months even after recovery, leading to infections via sexual intercourse. Based on present evidence, WHO recommends that all Ebola survivors and their sexual partners should receive counselling to ensure safe practices until their semen has twice tested negative.

Dead bodies remain infectious.

People who are at higher risk may include:
  • People who prepare dead Ebola patients for burial
  • Health-workers who are treating infected people
  • Family members or close relatives of people who are infected. 

SYMPTOMS

The incubation period (the length of time from infection with the virus to onset of symptom) is between 2 and 21 days.

Symptoms may include:

  • Sudden onset of high fever
  • Sore throat
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle pain
  • Lack of appetite
  • Joint and muscle pain

Some patients may experience:

  • Rash
  • Red eyes
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Bleeding inside and outside of the body
  • Cough
  • hiccups

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

To make a diagnosis, other conditions will first be ruled out. It should be noted that samples and specimens from patients with Ebola are extreme biohazard risk. Testing should, therefore, be conducted under maximum biological containment conditions.

Several tests that may be used in making the diagnosis include:

  • Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing
  • virus isolation by cell culture
  • electron microscopy
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • igM ELISA
TREATMENT

No proven treatment options are available for the condition, though researchers are working on it.

The symptoms of Ebola are managed with:

  • oral or intravenous fluid
  • oxygen
  • blood pressure medications
  • blood transfusions

 

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is over. If you are traveling to these areas, it is advisable to follow these simple procedures:

  • A regular wash of hands with soap and water
  • Wash and properly peel fruits and vegetables
  • Avoid physical contact with persons showing symptoms
  • Avoid bushmeats, eating raw meat of dead animals, and handling dead animals.