Skip to main content

More on Ebola that you might not have known

How it came in existence?
Ebola is a viral fever that is extremely sever and in most of the case a fatal illness. The disease was first spread in the year 1976, in the places like Sudan and Zaire.It has affected about 284 people in its first outbreak. This led to a mortality rate of around 53%. The second outbreak effected around 318 people with the highest mortality rate of about 88% in the regions of Yambuku and Zaire.  This viral affect was named and Ebola-Zaire (EBOZ). The expertise researchers worked hard to find out the cause of such a severe disease but were unable to find out the actual cause behind the virus. In the year 1989, the Ebola Reston (EBOR) was first identified. This was the third strain of the disease. It was found in the Ebola affected monkey imported in Reston.
Facts on Ebola:
A per the report of World Health Organization (WHO), the death due to the infection of Ebola is around 4493 and the suspected victims of the disease has exceeded 8998. But WHO still has the assumption that it may be 2.5 times the number that has been reported. It has been detected as the highest outbreak of any disease found so far. Generally the virus resides in the fruit bats. The mostly affected people with Ebola are those who leave around the tropical rainforest. The germs are spread through infected animals like chimpanzee, fruit bats, and antelope by coming in close contact with blood, secretion, sweat, or any fluid of the victim.
When a person is affected with Ebola then first symptoms felt is high fever followed by muscle pain and sore throat. Later it increases its effect very fast with vomiting, diarrhoea, bleeding internal or external, finally reaching out to death. This spreads so rapidly that the health care workers had to have serious protection and they usually cover up the whole body heavily.
Research has found out that mostly the people suffering from poverty are the victims of this disease. They do not have proper hygiene and medication. Thus they are devoid of resisting the spread of this disease. The hospitals too do not provide proper treatment to them and most are understaffed for this disease. Thus places like Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are badly affected by Ebola virus. The positive aspect of Ebola germ is that it cannot persist in high temperature and are easily fragile. Thus it can be destroyed by alcohol gel or even soapy water. It can even be killed by drying it out or using disinfectants.
People who are diagnosed properly in the early stage of Ebola fever can survive. Though there has been no vaccines available till now to prevent this disease. The patients gradually become so week and dehydrated that they are required to have oral rehydrating supplements more often like intravenous fluid or electrolytes. The medication is also rare for Ebola. Still now researches are going on regarding the treatment of such tremendously fatal disease.

Popular posts from this blog

Diagnosis of Ebola

It is very difficult to diagnose Ebola in a person who has been infected by the virus for only a few days. The reason is that the early symptoms like fever are non-specific and are often observed in patients with more common diseases like malaria and typhoid fever. However, once a person has been diagnosed with early symptoms of Ebola, the person should be isolated and it is very important to notify the public health authorities about the case. If a person has come in direct contact with: Bodily fluids or blood of an Ebola infected person who has died Items that were handled by an Ebola infected person and are contaminated with the blood or body fluids of the sick person Semen from a man who has just recovered from Ebola To confirm infection, samples from the patient can be taken and tested. For the symptoms to reach detectable levels, it may take up to three days after the onset of symptoms. Only after the onset of symptoms, most prominent being fever, is the Ebola virus detec...

Severity of Ebola

The first outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease took place in 1976 first in Sudan, then in Zaire. The disease can be fatal in majority of the cases. It is a viral fever which can get extremely severe in humans and primates. The virus affected around 284 people when it took place for the first time and it took toll over the lives of 53% of its victims. The second time it affected around 318 people and had the highest mortality rate among the viral diseases. The mortality rate was 88% in Zaire. The cause of such deadly disease could not be found as researchers kept trying to find the origin of the virus. In 1989, the third strain of disease, the Ebola Reston (EBOR) was identified for the first time. Monkeys that were imported from Reston were found to be infected with Ebola virus. Till now, Ebola has caused about 4493 deaths and the count of its victims is as high as 8998, according to World Health Organization (WHO). WHO still believes that the numbers can be 2.5 times the numbers that...

Updates on current ebola outbreak

 Dealing with Ebola outbreaks is like battling a wildfire—swift action and robust strategies are essential to contain the spread. As of now, several regions, particularly in Central and West Africa, are still grappling with this deadly virus. Let’s break down the current situation, the response efforts, and the ongoing challenges. The Current Situation: Regions Affected As of 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda have reported the most recent outbreaks. These areas have faced recurrent Ebola flare-ups, often linked to the Zaire ebolavirus species, known for its high fatality rate. The outbreaks typically start in remote areas but can spread to urban centers, complicating containment efforts. Response Efforts: Rapid and Coordinated Action The response to these outbreaks involves a multi-faceted approach: Rapid Diagnosis and Isolation : Quick identification of cases is crucial. Health workers use diagnostic tools to confirm Ebola and isolate patients to prevent furt...