EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE: KNOW IT, DONT fear it Ebola Virus Disease is a fatal illness to human, which was named after Ebola River of Yambuku, Democratic Ruplic of Congo, the headstream of the Mongola River, a tribute of the Congo River where the disease was first identified in 1976. Nearly 40 years, Ebola virus has been identified by Prof. Peter Piot from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) yet has no vaccine or cure. The virus continues to spread in African countries with the latest outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea in March 2014 and later in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Binin Republic. Report by World Health Orgwnisation shows that more than 1,600 cases have been identify. The disease has become a matter of worry to the world especially Africans as symptoms of the disease is similar with that of malaria, dengue fever, and other tropical fevers, before the disease progresses to the bleeding phase. The sign and symptoms of the disease usually begin suddenly with a flue-ill stage characterize by fatigue fever, headaches, and joint, muscle and abdominal pains, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite are also common symptoms. Less common symptoms include sore throat, chest pain, hiccup, shortness of bread and trouble swallowing. The average time between contacting the infection and the start of symptoms is 8 to 10 days, but it can vary between 2 and 21 days. Professor Peter Piot, who was part of the team that discovered the virus in 1976 in an interview with Bolton News UK, explained that the there’s no risk contacting with the person who was early infected but not yet ill. He also said he would not mind sitting next to an infected person on a plane or train, “by that I mean someone who is already infected but not yet ill. Even in the early days when they have fever, that’s also not risky for others. “It’s when the start bleeding, have diarrhea and are vomiting, that’s risky, but someone with full-blown Ebola infection can’t travel. Even then you still need close contact. It’s not like tuberculosis or Sars or the flu that you can catch on a bus, but not Ebola. “When someone is extremely ill that is when they are very infectious, but at the stage patients can hardly move - they are not mobile. “This is not a very contagious infection, you need close contact with someone who is really ill or who died from it (before getting infected). Professor Peter Piot also disclosed that those at higher risk to the disease are health worker and close contacts of those with the infection, “I think the key risk is for health workers”. WHO also warned that health-care workers are frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed EVD. It also transmit from the direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids. Burial ceremony in which mourners have direct contact to the body of the deceased person can also play role in transmission of Ebola. Since the virus has no cure or vaccine, the WHO advised that not to touch sick person who show symptoms of Ebola with hand, not touch the dead bodies of suspected or confirmed Ebola patients, and washing hands regularly with water and soap especially when visited hospital, clinic or sick persons Also in an interview with Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Dr. Peter Piot, further explained that fear of virus more dangerous than the virus. In his words fear of the virus, and lack of trust in government, in the health system, is as bad as the virus. Speaking on measurers to control the spread of the virus, Professor Piot, has this to say you need a combination of nearly military type of control measures, isolation, quarantine of those who are the diseased, but also their relatives. And secondly community mobilization. Information can save lives here. The fear of virus and running away from health services, that contribute to perpetuate the spread of Ebola virus, Dr. Piot revealed
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 19:23:52 +0000