Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

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Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

 

 

Ebola [ee-BO-luh] hemorrhagic fever is a deadly disease that has occurred in

outbreaks in Central Africa.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is caused by several Ebola viruses. The source of

these viruses in nature is not known.

People can get Ebola hemorrhagic fever by direct contact with virus-infected

blood, body fluids, organs, or semen.

There is no known cure or treatment.

Recent outbreaks in humans have occurred in areas where medical supplies and

care were inadequate. The outbreaks were controlled by using barrier nursing

techniques.

Under normal circumstances, travelers are at low risk of getting the disease.

To eliminate the risk, travelers should avoid areas where Ebola outbreaks are

occurring.

 

What is Ebola hemorrhagic fever?

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is one of the deadliest of a group of diseases called

viral hemorrhagic fevers. They range in seriousness from relatively mild

illnesses to severe and potentially fatal diseases. All forms of viral

hemorrhagic fever begin with fever and muscle aches. Depending on the virus, the

disease can get worse until the patient becomes very ill with breathing

problems, severe bleeding (hemorrhage), kidney problems, and shock.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers are caused by viruses from four families:

filoviruses, arenaviruses, flaviviruses, and bunyaviruses. The usual hosts for

most of these viruses are rodents or arthropods (such as ticks and mosquitoes).

In some cases, the natural host for the virus is not known.

 

What is the infectious agent that causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever?

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is caused by several Ebola viruses. Ebola viruses are

members of the filovirus family; when magnified several thousand times by an

electron microscope, these viruses look like threads (filaments). Ebola virus

was discovered in 1976 and named for a river in Zaire, Africa, where it was

first detected.

 

Where is Ebola hemorrhagic fever found?

Ebola viruses are found in Central Africa. The source of the viruses in nature

remains unknown. Monkeys, like humans, appear to be susceptible to infection and

might serve as a source of virus if infected.

 

How do people get Ebola hemorrhagic fever?

People get the disease by direct contact with virus-infected blood, body

fluids, organs, or semen.

The disease is spread mainly by close person-to-person contact with severely

ill patients. This happens most often to hospital-care workers and family

members who care for an ill person infected with Ebola virus. Close personal

contact with persons who are infected but show no signs of active disease is

very unlikely to result in infection.

Transmission of the virus has also been linked to the re-use of hypodermic

needles in the treatment of patients. Re-using needles is a common practice in

developing countries, such as Zaire and Sudan, where the health-care system is

underfinanced. Medical facilities in the United States do not re-use needles.

Ebola virus can be spread from person to person through sexual contact.

Persons who have recuperated from an illness caused by Ebola virus can still

have the virus in their genital secretions for a short time after recovery and

can spread the virus through sexual activity.

 

What are the signs and symptoms of Ebola hemorrhagic fever?

People infected with Ebola virus have sudden fever, weakness, muscle pain,

headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, limited kidney

and liver functions, and both internal and external bleeding. Death rates range

from 50% to 90%.

 

How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?

Symptoms begin 2 to 21 days after infection.

 

How is Ebola hemorrhagic fever diagnosed?

Diagnosis requires specialized laboratory tests on blood specimens. Handling

blood from a persons infected with Ebola virus is an extreme biohazard and can

be done only in specially equipped laboratories. Diagnosis in patients who have

died can be made by testing tissue samples.

 

Who is at risk for Ebola hemorrhagic fever?

 

Persons traveling to areas where Ebola hemorrhagic fever is occurring

Hospital staff and family members who care for patients with Ebola

hemorrhagic fever

Central African residents of rural areas and small towns

 

What is the treatment for Ebola hemorrhagic fever?

There is no known cure or treatment. Severe cases need intensive supportive

care.

 

How common is Ebola hemorrhagic fever?

Until recently, only three outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in humans had

been reported. The first two, in 1976 in Zaire and in western Sudan, were large

outbreaks that resulted in more than 550 cases and 340 deaths. The third

outbreak, in 1979 in Sudan, was smaller, with 34 cases and 22 deaths. In each of

these outbreaks, most cases occurred in hospitals where medical supplies were

inadequate and where needles and syringes were re-used. The outbreaks were

quickly controlled by isolating sick patients in a place requiring the wearing

of mask, gown, and gloves; sterilizing needles and syringes; and disposing of

wastes and corpses in a sanitary way.

In 1995, an outbreak in Kikwit and surrounding areas in Bandundu Province,

Zaire, caused 316 deaths. The outbreak was amplified in a hospital by staff who

became infected through poor nursing techniques. At the request of health

officials in Zaire, medical teams from CDC and the World Health Organization,

and from Belgium, France, and South Africa, collaborated to investigate and

control the outbreak.

Two isolated cases of Ebola hemorrhagic fever were identified in Cote d'Ivoire

in 1994-1995. The most recent outbreaks were in rural Gabon in 1994 and in 1996.

A patient from the 1996 Gabon outbreak traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa,

and fatally infected a health-worker there as well.

 

How can Ebola hemorrhagic fever be prevented?

Under normal circumstances, travelers are at low risk of getting the disease.

To eliminate the risk, travelers should avoid areas where Ebola outbreaks are

occurring.

 

This fact sheet is for information only and is not meant to be used for

self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a health-care provider.

If you have any questions about the disease described above, consult a

health-care provider.

http://www.dhpe.org/infect/ebola.html

 

 

" Respect means listening until everyone has been heard and understood, only

then is there a possibility of " Balance and Harmony " the goal of Indian

Spirituality. " Dave Chief, Grandfather of Red Dog