Ebola virus | causes and treatment | Will Ebola become an epidemic? Is it the start of the end of the world?

 

Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that causes fever, body aches, and diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding inside and outside the body.

As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes a decrease in the level of blood-clotting cells. This leads to heavy, uncontrollable bleeding.

The disease was known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever but is now referred to as the Ebola virus.

It kills up to 90% of infected people.

What is the Ebola virus?

The disease was known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, but is now referred to as the Ebola virus.

Death rates for Ebola epidemics have ranged from 25% to 90% in the past.

There are five types of Ebola virus. Four of them cause disease in humans.

The Ebola virus first appeared in two outbreaks in 1976 in Africa.

Ebola got its name from the Ebola River, which is located near one of the villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the disease first appeared.

How do you get Ebola?

Ebola is not as contagious as more common viruses such as the common cold, flu, or measles. It is spread to humans through contact with the skin or body fluids of an infected animal, such as a monkey, chimpanzee, or bat. Then it's the same from person to person. It is often given to those who care for the sick or bury someone who has died of the disease.

Ebola can be spread by:

• Blood

•        Sweat

• Tears

• Pee

• Smoke

• Vomiting

• Breast milk

• Amniotic fluid

• Seed

• Vaginal fluids

• Pregnancy fluids

Other ways to get Ebola include touching contaminated needles or surfaces.

You cannot get Ebola from the air, water or food. A person who has Ebola but has no symptoms cannot spread the disease.

Who is at risk?

You are more likely to get Ebola if you come into physical contact with the infected blood or body fluids of someone who has it. In general, if you travel to a country with an outbreak of Ebola, your risk of getting it is not high.

But your risk of infection is high if you:

• Caregiver of a person with Ebola

• A health care worker, such as a doctor, nurse, or staff at a hospital or clinic treating people with Ebola

• A volunteer or aid worker responding to an outbreak

• A laboratory worker who processes Ebola samples

• Close family or friend of someone with Ebola

What are the symptoms of Ebola?

Ebola can soon feel like the flu or other illnesses. Symptoms appear 2 to 21 days after infection and usually include:

• High fever

• Headache

• Joint and muscle pain

• Sore throat

• Weakness

• Abdominal pain

• Lack of appetite

As the disease progresses, it causes bleeding inside the body, as well as from the eyes, ears and nose. Some people will vomit or cough up blood, have bloody diarrhea and get a rash.

How is Ebola diagnosed?

Sometimes it's hard to tell if a person has Ebola just by the symptoms. Doctors may test to rule out other diseases, such as cholera or malaria.

Blood and tissue tests can also diagnose Ebola.

If you have Ebola, you will be immediately isolated from the public to prevent the spread.

How is Ebola treated?

There is no cure for Ebola, although scientists are working on one. There are two drug treatments that have been approved to treat Ebola. Inmazeb is a mixture of three monoclonal antibodies (atoltivimab, maftivimab and odesivimab-ebgn). Ansuvimab-cycle (Ebanga) is a monoclonal antibody given as an injection. It helps block the virus from the cell receptor and prevents it from entering the cell.

Doctors manage Ebola symptoms by:

• Fluids and electrolytes

• Oxygen

• Medicines for blood pressure

• Blood transfusion

• Treatment of other infections

Complications of Ebola

Research shows that you are at risk of complications when you have Ebola, such as:

• Coma

• Multiorgan failure

• Septic shock

• Hypoxia (lack of oxygen in your body)

• Electrolyte imbalance

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

• Hypovolaemia, a condition where your body has low blood or fluid levels

• Refractory shock, when your body has persistently low blood pressure

Research has also shown that you are at risk of complications even after you have Ebola, including:

• Seizures

• Memory loss

• Headaches

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

• Trembling

• Meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and membranes in the skull and spine)

Is there a vaccine against Ebola?

Two types of licensed vaccines are available to prevent Ebola:

 rVSV-ZEBOV (Ervebo). This vaccine treats only the Zaire strain of the virus. In December 2019, the FDA approved the vaccine for people who are eligible.

You can only get the Zaire Ebola vaccine if you are 18 or older. Experts do not recommend it if you are pregnant and breastfeeding. Experts recommend this vaccine during Ebola outbreaks.

Ad26.ZEBOV (Zabdeno) and MVA-BN-Filo (Mvabea). This vaccine is given in two doses. The European Medicines Agency approved it for use in May 2020. People over 1 year of age can receive the vaccine.

You will receive Zabdeno as your first dose of vaccine. The second dose of Mvabea is given 8 weeks later. But experts don't recommend this two-dose vaccination schedule during an outbreak. This is because it is not designed to give you protection right away.

For high-risk people, such as healthcare workers or volunteers living and working in Ebola outbreak areas, if you have completed two doses, you may be given a booster dose of Zabdeno 4 months after the second dose.

How can you prevent Ebola?

There are several ways to protect yourself from the virus. To prevent Ebola infection, you should:

• Avoid traveling to areas where the virus is present or where there has been an outbreak.

• If someone has Ebola, avoid contact with their blood or other body fluids.

• Avoid contact with the semen of a man who has recovered from Ebola until tests show that the infection is gone.

• Do not touch or handle things that a person with Ebola may have come into contacts with, such as bedding, clothing, needles, and medical equipment.

• Avoid burial, especially where the ritual or practice may involve touching a person who has died or is suspected of having Ebola.

• If you are in an area where Ebola is present, avoid contact with bats, monkeys, chimpanzees, and gorillas, as these animals can spread Ebola to humans.

• If you are a healthcare worker, wear masks, gloves, and goggles whenever you come into contact with people who may have Ebola.

If you have returned from an Ebola outbreak, watch for symptoms for up to 21 days. If you notice any, tell your doctor right away.