Take a minute to read about one of the most virulent viral disease - Ebola and pass on the info to your friends and family. Ebola Awareness : 1) In the current outbreak, which began in March 2014, more than 1,000 people have died in West Africa, mainly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. 2) Ebola is described by the World Health organisation (WHO) as “One of the most virulent viral diseases known to humankind” 3) There is no licensed vaccine for Ebola although several are currently being tested. Transmission : 1) Ebola is passed to humans through close contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected animals. Fruit bats, monkeys and chimpanzees can all carry the virus. 2) Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission, again from contact with blood or bodily fluids. 3) Burial ceremonies where mourners touch the body of the dead person can also spread the disease. 4) The incubation period (the time from infection to the onset of symptoms) is between two to 21 days. 5) People remain infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. Symptoms: 1) Initial symptoms include the sudden onset of a high fever, muscle pain, general weakness, headache and sore throat. 2) Further symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, rashes, damage to the kidney and liver function. 3) In some cases symptoms can include both internal and external bleeding. How can the virus be prevented: 1) Routinely cleaning and disinfecting farms to inactivate the virus. 2) Animals should be handled with gloves and protective clothing. Meat should be thoroughly cooked before eating. 3) If an outbreak is suspected in animals, the premises should be quarantined and infected animals culled. 4) Avoiding physical contact with people infected with Ebola and protective clothing must be worn. 5) Washing hands after visiting patients in hospital, or after taking care of those infected at home. 6) Inform the authorities when a community is affected so containment measures can be taken. 7) Ebola victims should be buried quickly and safely, with no direct contact with the corpse. PS : There is no known cure or vaccine for Ebola. Reference : euronews/2014/08/14/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-ebola-virus/
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 16:22:03 +0000
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