This disease causes hemorrhagic fever in humans and monkeys; it is of acute viral infectious type. Its name is due to the virus that produces it (Ebola) discovered in 1976 when cases of hemorrhagic fever occur in Zaire and Sudan in the vicinity of the African Ebola River, which passes through Zaire. This disease produces a very high mortality rate so it can be considered a biological weapon. It can kill up to 90% of those infected. Ebola occurs in the form of outbreaks or epidemics. There are places where the disease has occurred but not endemically, as has happened in the United States, with people who work with monkeys but the type of Ebola virus, in these cases, does not affect humans (Ebola – Rostom) People at-risk of becoming infected with this disease, of contracting hemorrhagic fever, are those who traveled to sub-Saharan Africa, those who care for infected patients and those who work with monkeys of African origin. Ebola outbreaks occur mainly in villages in Central and West Africa, areas close to the rainforest. In Doncomos.com we will explain how Ebola is spread and we will provide you with information about this disease, most affected areas, mortality rates and some interesting facts that you can not miss at this time that humanity is threatened by this virus.
What do you need to get Ebola? Information Attention to the appearance of symptoms Control of animals on farms Protective equipment for caregivers
Instructions for getting Ebola
The number of people who died from this disease in Africa is very significant, for example there were outbreaks of Ebola in Zaire in 1976 with 284 patients of whom 151 died, that is,53%, in Sudan, at the same time of 318 patients 280 died, or88%. Sudan had a minor outbreak in 1979 with a mortality rate of 64%. Isolated cases occurred in
Between 1994 and 2000 the largest outbreak occurred in Gabon, a country in West Central Africa with 350 infected people and 280 deaths (80%). In 2007 in Uganda a new outbreak infected 149 people of which 37 (25%) died and then, in 2012, 17 more people died from hemorrhagic fever in this same country.
The last recorded outbreak is in March 2014, in Guinea, West Africa, with more than a thousand affected, then spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mali. It can be said that it is currently out of control. Those affected exceed 7500 and the dead 3500.
The way to prevent the spread of the virus isto control borders regionally and internationally as well as to avoid travel to West Africa unless it is out of extreme necessity. The speed of spread of the virus is so great that everyone is at risk. There have been isolated cases in other countries, for example the world-famous case of a nurse who contracted the virus in Liberia and arrived in Texas in the United States passing airport controls. Also known is the case of the nurse who became infected with Ebola after treating the two Spanish missionaries who died of this disease.
This virus introduced into the human population due to the handling of animals affected by Ebola or killed by this disease such as monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, bats, antelopes, among others. Also, by the contact of blood, secretions or other fluids of the body of animals infected by this disease. Once the virus is in humans, it is transmitted from person to person, by direct contact, through mucous membranes, direct contact with organs, blood, secretions, body fluids of infected people. But also, by direct contact or handling with materials contaminated by these liquids.
In hospitals where there are many patients with this disease it is common for there to be more contagion when using non-disposable needles, lack of masks, etc. As utensils become contaminated whether the person is alive or dead from this virus, autopsies should not be performed in hospitals and bodies should be cremated.
The man who had this virus, despite medical discharge, can continue to transmit the virus through semen during the seven weeks after his recovery. The symptomatology of this disease is the sudden appearance of fever, muscle aches, weakness, headache and throat, then vomiting, diarrhea, internal or external bleeding, skin rashes. After the corresponding analyzes will see the decrease of leukocytes and platelets as well as the increase of liver enzymes.
It is known that patients can spreads long as the virus is present in the blood and secretions, in semen is present up to 61 days after the onset of the disease. From infection by this virus to the onset of symptoms varies between 2 days and 3 weeks. For this reason, the detection of the virus is not rapid, which makes it necessary to take preventive measures, especially health professionals such as doctors and nurses. Hand hygiene, respiratory (use of masks), protective equipment to avoid contact with splashes or contact with infected materials, use of disposable needles and syringes and practice of safe burials.
Those who working laboratories are also at risk of contagion so precautionary measures should be taken with extreme care.
There is no vaccine against Ebola, they are being tested but cannot yet be used. There is also no specific treatment although they are still being studied as with vaccines.
