3. What is the Ebola Virus?
Ebola, previously known as Ebola haemorrhagic
fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by
infection with one of the Ebola virus strains. Ebola
can cause disease in humans and nonhuman
primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).
4. Ebola Cont.
Ebola is caused by infection with a virus of the
family Filoviridae, genus Ebolavirus. There are
five identified Ebola virus species, four of which are
known to cause disease in humans:
Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus);
Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus);
Taï Forest virus (Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly
Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus); and
Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo ebolavirus).
The fifth, Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), has
caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in
humans.
5. Ebola History
Ebola was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola
River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared
sporadically in Africa (more specifically West-Africa)
6. What of the Ebola Outbreak
2014?
An epidemic of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is
ongoing in certain West African countries.
It began in Guinea in December 2013 and spread
to Liberia and Sierra Leone then to other countries
as follows;
7. Major Countries with Ebola Transmission (in 2014)
Guinea
Liberia
Sierra Leone
Countries with limited local transmission (in 2014)
Spain
United States
Countries with contained spread ( in 2014)
Senegal
Nigeria
8.
9. How Do You Get Ebola?
Human -to - human transmission, primarily
through direct or indirect contact with bodily fluids
such as blood, urine, and saliva
Contact with contaminated objects such as
needles or soiled bedding or clothing
The Virus is not airborne like flu
10.
11. What are the Symptoms?
Sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain,
headache, sore throat followed by vomiting,
diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney, and liver
function.
In some cases, there is internal bleeding and
external bleeding
12.
13. How Long Before Symptoms
Show?
Anywhere between two (2) to
twenty one (21) days, though eight
(8) to ten (10) days is most
common.
15. What Diseases Should Be Ruled Out
First?
Malaria
Typhoid fever
Shigellosis
Cholera
Leptospirosis
Rickettsiosis
Relapsing fever
Meningitis
Hepatitis and
other viral
haemorrhagic
fevers
16. How Can You Protect Yourself?
Avoid direct contact with bodily fluids, someone
suffering from Ebola or a deceased person
Wash your hands with soap and water or an
alcohol based hand sanitizer when in risk of such
contact
Wear gloves, a mask and a long protective gown
if coming within about 3 feet of an infected patient
Anyone suspected of contracting the virus should
be isolated and public health officials notified
17.
18. How is it Treated?
Balancing the patient's fluids and electrolytes
Maintaining patient's oxygen status and blood
pressure
Treating him or her for any complicating infection
19. Is there an Ebola cure?
There is currently No Cure for Ebola however, there
are a number of experimental drugs that are being
considered for use in this context such as;
ZMapp which is a combination of monoclonal
antibodies
TKM-Ebola an RNA interference drug
Favipivir a drug approved in Japan for stockpiling
against influenza pandemics
BCX4430 is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug
developed by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals and currently
being researched as a potential treatment for Ebola
by USAMRIID.
Brincidofovir, another broad-spectrum antiviral drug
JK-05, a small molecule drug among others