TODAY EXCLUSIVE: Ebola OUTBREAK Tied Down 3 West Africa Nations Plus What you need to know to protect yourself NIGERIA, (NN1)— What is Ebola virus disease? Ebola virus disease (EVD) was previously known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever. It is a severe, often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees). EVD is caused by a virus, and first appeared in 1976 when two outbreaks (one in an area near the Ebola River in Democratic Republic of Congo, and the other in South Sudan) occurred. Since then, sporadic outbreaks have occurred, most commonly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, Congo and Gabon. The origin of Ebola virus is not known, but fruit bats are thought to be the likely host of the virus. How do people become infected with Ebola virus? Ebola virus is transmitted to humans through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals (which include chimpanzees, gorillas, bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines). This occurs when hunters/other persons come into contact with dead animals found lying in the rainforest, or handling raw meat of infected animals. Once a person is infected, the Ebola virus can spread to other people in the community. Infection occurs from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes, including the nose, eyes and mouth) with blood, or other bodily fluids and secretions (including stool, urine, saliva, semen) of infected people. Who is at risk for becoming infected with Ebola virus? During EVD outbreaks, the following persons are most at risk for infection: Healthcare workers Family members or friends in close contact with infected people, because they come in close contact with infectious secretions/bodily fluids when caring for ill persons Mourners who have direct contact with the bodies of the deceased as part of burial ceremonies Hunters/other persons in the rain forest who come into contact with infected animals in the forest What are the signs and symptoms of EVD? After infection with the Ebola virus, there is an incubation period of 2- 21 days (on average, 8- 10 days) after which the person will start to experience symptoms. The initial symptoms include fever, weakness and lethargy, muscle pain, headache and sometimes sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and sometimes a rash. Some patients may experience bleeding inside and outside of the body; this is the most serious complication. Can EVD be prevented? There is no licensed vaccine for EVD. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use as yet. Preventing initial cases is challenging, since it is still not known how exactly Ebola virus is maintained in nature and what preventive interventions would be successful. Once an initial case of EVD occurs in a community, preventing spread to other people is critical. This includes educating the general public about the disease and how it can be prevented from spreading further. COUNTRIES ONCE HIT WITH EBOLA VIRUS: the following list is from Known Cases and Outbreaks of Ebola 1976 Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) 1976 Sudan 1977 Zaire 1989–1990 Philippines 1992 Italy 1994 Gabon 1994 Ivory Coast 1995 Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) 1996 Jan–Apr Gabon 1996 South Africa A medical professional traveled from Gabon to Johannesburg, South Africa, after having treated Ebola virus-infected patients and thus having been exposed to the virus. He was hospitalized, and a nurse who took care of him became infected and died. 1996 USA was introduced into a quarantine facility in Texas by monkeys imported from the Philippines. No human infections were identified. 1996 Philippines 2000–2001 Uganda 2001–2002 Oct–Mar Gabon 2001–2002 Oct–Mar Republic of Congo Outbreak occurred over the border of Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. This was the first time that Ebola hemorrhagic fever was reported in the Republic of the Congo. 2002–2003 Dec–Apr Republic of Congo 2004 Sudan 2007 Democratic Republic of Congo 2007–2008 Dec–Jan Uganda 2008 Nov Philippines 2008–2009 Dec–Feb Democratic Republic of Congo 2012 Jun–Aug Uganda **LATEST OUTBREAK: 2014 Guinea Liberia Sierra Leone Nigeria Outbreak is currently ongoing in southeastern Guinea, including the capital Conakryand the neighbour countries Sierra Leone, Liberiaand Nigeria WHAT ARE THE LEADERS OF THAT COUNTRY TO STOP THE SPREAD: Sierra Leone has declared a state of public emergency to tackle the worst ever outbreak of Ebola and will call in security forces to quarantine epicenters of the deadly virus, President Ernest Bai Koroma said in a statement. The measures resembled a tough anti-Ebola package announced by neighboring Liberia on Wednesday evening. Koroma announced he was cancelling a visit to Washington for a U.S.-Africa summit next week because of the crisis and would instead hold an emergency meeting with regional leaders in Guinea on Friday. IS THERE ANY VICTIMS OF THE DEADLY VIRUS: indeed, Death toll rise daily according to report Highly infectious Ebola has been blamed for 672 deaths in the West Africa nations of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization is planning to launch a $100 million response to combat the outbreak. According to the UN, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan will meet in Conakry, Guinea, on Friday with the presidents of affected West African nations to discuss the plan. Meanwhile, 340 US Peace Corps volunteers are set to leave Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea after two of them were in contact with a person who later died of the virus. It comes amid concerns of the global spread of the virus were voiced following a US man who was working in West Africa started to have symptoms of the contagious disease already on his way to Nigeria, where he died Friday. Fears now are that others on the flight have contracted the deadly Ebola virus. Nigerian health officials have since screened 59 people who were in contact with the American man of Liberian descent, Patrick Sawyer. However, the airline refused to release the names of people on the flight, so the exact number or citizenship of passengers isn’t known, The Daily Mail reported.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 09:32:22 +0000