“One of most common ways for humans to be infected with #Ebola is to eat the meat of an infected primate,” Ebola Erupts In West Africa For The First Time Health workers are rushing to stop a “rapidly evolving Ebola outbreak” in West Africa, the World Health Organization said Monday. So far, the deadly virus has sickened 86 people and killed 59 of them. This is the largest Ebola outbreak seen anywhere since 2007, and it’s the first one in West Africa, although the virus has been found in the region’s monkeys. All the cases in the outbreak have been in Guinea, a small country on the Atlantic Ocean about the size of Oregon. In Guinea, a country with a weak medical infrastructure, an outbreak like this can be devastating, Dr. Mohamed Ag Ayoya, from UNICEF said in a statement Sunday. DNA analyses suggest Guinea is dealing with one of the most deadly forms of Ebola, called Zaire. That strain typically kills about 80 percent of the people infected. There’s no treatment or vaccine for the virus. Still though, outside of Guinea, there’s little reason for concern. The hallmark of the disease is profuse bleeding. But Ebola also causes symptoms similar to severe dysentery, including diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Many suspected cases of Ebola turn out to be false alarms. Ebola outbreaks can be contained once health workers know what they’re dealing with. The virus spreads through contact with blood and other bodily fluids, so the key to stopping it is ensuring people don’t touch those infected or the bodies of the deceased. It’s still unknown where the virus originated. “One of most common ways for humans to be infected with #Ebola is to eat the meat of an infected primate,” Hartl said on Twitter. “In fact, we may even be dealing with multiple introductions.” Photo: Ebola virus viewed under the electron microscope (Cynthia Goldsmith/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 00:15:14 +0000
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