Ebola Virus: Diseases, Transmission

Ebola disease is generally described as a rare virus but it is a  very deadly disease which typically causes fever, body aches, and diarrhea and also sometimes they experience bleeding inside and outside the body. If the virus spreads through the body, it gradually damages the immune system and organs. And mostly causes the levels of blood-clotting cells which drop gradually. This dropping level leads to severe uncontrollable bleeding.

This disease is also called Ebola hemorrhagic fever but nowadays it is commonly known as Ebola virus. It generally kills about 90% of people who are infected with this virus. In the past outbreaks of Ebola virus, the death rate can range from 25% to 90%.

Generally, Ebola virus can be five types. Among all types 4 types of virus can cause disease in humans. At first, The Ebola virus appeared during 1976 in Africa. Ebola virus is named by the look from the river called Ebola which is located near the villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the ebola disease started first.

How Do You Get Ebola?

The Ebola virus is not more contagious as common viruses like colds, influenza, or measles. This ebola- causing virus can spread to people through having direct contact with the skin or bodily fluids of an ebola infected animal such as monkey, chimp, or fruit bat. Then it slowly moves from one person to another like the same way. People who care for sick persons or bury someone who has died of ebola virus disease often get it.

Ebola disease can spread through:

• Blood

• Sweat

• Tears

• Pee 

• Poop

• Vomit

• Breast milk

• Amniotic fluid

• Semen

• Vaginal fluids

• Pregnancy fluids 

Other ways of getting Ebola virus is touching contaminated needles or surfaces. But you cannot get this virus from air, water, or food. People who have ebola virus but have no symptoms at all cannot spread the disease to other people.

Who’s at Risk?

People who physically contact with infected blood or body fluids of someone who has the virus then they eventually get the virus. But in general, your risk of getting this virus is not high if you are travelling to a place with an ebola outbreak.

But your risk of getting infection is high if you are a:

• Caretaker for a person who infected with Ebola

• People who are treating the infected people like Health care worker, like a doctor, nurse, or staff at a hospital or clinic 

• Who are working as Volunteer or aid worker for responding to an outbreak

• Laboratory technicians who handles Ebola samples

• Close family member or friend of someone who infected with Ebola virus

Symptoms

In earlier years, Ebola can affect like the flu or other illnesses, Usually symptoms appear after 2 to 21 days of infection which includes:

• High fever

• Headache

• Joint and muscle aches

• Sore throat

• Weakness

• Stomach pain

• Lack of appetite

If the ebola disease gets worse, then it gradually causes bleeding illness in the inside of your body and also bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose. In some cases of ebola affected people, they will vomit or cough up blood, and have bloody diarrhea and also they get a rash.

Diagnosis

Usually, it's hard to tell if a person is infected with ebola from looking at its symptoms alone. Healthcare professionals might suggest some other tests to avoid other diseases like cholera or malaria. Testing blood and tissues will help to diagnose the ebola virus.

If you are infected with ebola virus, you will be isolated from the public crowds which typically helps to prevent the spreading of virus to other infections.

Treatment

There is no treatment for ebola virus, researchers are working on it. But they used two drug treatments which can be approved for treating ebola virus. Another drug is Inmazeb which is a mixture of three monoclonal antibodies. Ansuvimab-zykl (Ebanga) is generally a monoclonal antibody which can be given as an infection.

Physicians helps to manage the symptoms of ebola virus by:

• Fluids and electrolytes

• Oxygen

• Blood pressure medication

• Blood transfusions

• Treatment for other infections

Ebola Complications

Research shows that you are having greatest risk of getting complications when you have ebola like:

• Coma

• Multi-organ failure

• Septic shock

• Hypoxia which is lack of oxygen in your body

• Electrolyte imbalance

• Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), which is a rare condition that usually causes clots in your blood vessels

• Hypovolemia which is a condition where your body has low levels of blood or fluid 

• Refractory shock will happen when your body continuously has low blood pressure 

• Seizures

• Memory loss

• Headaches

• Cranial nerve problems which might include pain, vertigo, weakness, and hearing loss 

• Tremors

• Meningoencephalitis which is inflammation of the brain and membranes in the skull and spinal column

Prevention

There are different ways you can protect it from the virus. To prevent ebola disease, you should follow the below preventive steps:

• You should Avoid travelling to areas where the ebola virus is found or if that country has an outbreak. 

• If someone is infected with Ebola, you should avoid contact with their blood or other bodily fluids.

• You should avoid contact with specimens from a man who recovered from the Ebola virus infection until your testing can show the results of infection have cleared.

• You should avoid touching or handling things that a person who is infected with Ebola virus and also people who might be in contact with, such as bedding, clothes, needles, and medical equipment of ebola patients.

• You must avoid going to or attending burial rituals or practice any activities like touching a person who died because of ebola virus infection or people who are suspected of having it.

• If you are living in an area where ebola is active, you should avoid contact with bats, monkeys, chimpanzees, and gorillas, because these animals can spread ebola virus to people.

• If you are working as a healthcare worker, you should wear masks, gloves, and goggles whenever you come into contact with people who have ebola.

• If you return back from the place where there was an ebola outbreak, you must watch out for symptoms for as long as 21 days. If you find any of the above symptoms, you should consult your doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why is Ebola so fatal?

Ans:  Because it can cause problems with the clotting system of the body and lead to internal bleeding, as blood leaks from small blood vessels.

Q2. Can a human survive Ebola?

Ans: Recovery from Ebola disease depends on good supportive care and the patient's immune response. 

Q3. What is Ebola virus caused by?

Ans: It is caused by an infection with a group of viruses within the genus Ebolavirus.

Q4. How is Ebola stopped?

Ans: This vaccine is given as a single dose vaccine and has been found to be safe and protective against Ebola virus.

Q5. How long can Ebola survive?

Ans: Ebolaviruses can survive on dry surfaces, like doorknobs and countertops for several hours; in body fluids like blood, ebolaviruses can survive up to several days at room temperature.