Ebola

EBOLA - A virus that causes severe bleeding, organ failure and can lead to death.

Symptoms - Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain and chills. Later, a person may experience internal bleeding resulting in vomiting or coughing blood.

People may experience:

Pain areas: in the abdomen, chest, joints, or muscles

Whole body: chills, dehydration, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, malaise, or sweating

Gastrointestinal: diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, or vomiting blood

Also common: coughing up blood, eye redness, headache, mental confusion, red spots on skin, or sore throat

Some Questions !!!!

How long can a person live with Ebola?

Symptoms of Ebola virus disease. The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms is 2 to 21 days. Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms. First symptoms are the sudden onset of fever fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.

How was Ebola first discovered?

Ebola viruses are found in several African countries. 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. The natural reservoir host of Ebola virus remains unknown.

How contagious is the Ebola virus?

Ebola is hard to contract, they say, and good infection-control practices can stop its spread. What's more, Ebola is much less contagious than many other more common diseases. The virus, much like HIV or hepatitis, is spread through blood or bodily fluids and is not airborne.

How do you know if you have the Ebola virus?

The time from exposure to when signs or symptoms of the disease appear (the incubation period) is 2 to 21 days, but the average time is 8 to 10 days. Signs of Ebola include fever and symptoms like severe headache, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising.

PREVENTION

There is no FDA-approved vaccine available for Ebola.

If you travel to or are in an area affected by an Ebola outbreak, make sure to do the following:

• Practice careful hygiene. For example, wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and avoid contact with blood and body fluids (such as urine, feces, saliva, sweat, urine, vomit, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids).
• Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment).
• Avoid funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body of someone who has died from Ebola.
• Avoid contact with bats and nonhuman primates or blood, fluids, and raw meat prepared from these animals.
• Avoid facilities in West Africa where Ebola patients are being treated. The U.S. embassy or consulate is often able to provide advice on facilities.
• Avoid contact with semen from a man who has had Ebola until you know Ebola is gone from his semen.
• After you return, monitor your health for 21 days and seek medical care immediately if you develop symptoms of Ebola.

Healthcare workers who may be exposed to people with Ebola should follow these steps:\

• Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

• Practice proper infection control and sterilization measures. For more information, see U.S. Healthcare Workers and Settings.

• Isolate patients with Ebola from other patients.

• Avoid direct, unprotected contact with the bodies of people who have died from Ebola.

• Notify health officials if you have had direct contact with the blood or body fluids, such as but not limited to, feces, saliva, urine, vomit, and semen of a person who is sick with Ebola. The virus can enter the body through broken skin or unprotected mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth.

How Is Ebola Treated?

There’s no cure for Ebola, though researchers are working on it. Treatment includes an experimental serum that destroys infected cells.

Doctors manage the symptoms of Ebola with:

• Fluids and electrolytes
• Oxygen
• Blood pressure medication
• Blood transfusions
• Treatment for other infections

Useful Links for the Public

• Questions and Answers on Ebola from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Ebola Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Homepage from CDC
• Ebola Fact Sheet 
• SF Response to Ebola [English] [Chinese] [Russian] [Spanish] [Tagalog] [Vietnamese]