What is Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF)? EHF is a hemorrhagic disease caused by the Ebola virus. It is transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an infected individual. EHF is responsible for the death of 50% to 90% of the sick individuals who show clinical symptoms No effective treatment or vaccine is currently available. The natural reservoir for this virus seems to be in the forests and savannahs of Central and West Africa. What are the signs of a case of EHF? Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever develops 2 to 21 days after infection, its symptoms include: High fever, Headaches, Intense weakness, Joint or muscle pains, Sore throat, Nausea and vomiting, Diarrhea, Skin rash, Internal and external bleeding in the form of: nosebleed, bleeding gums, red eyes, vomiting of blood, bloody stools, red spots on the body, Impaired kidney and liver function. How is EHF transmitted? Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with the blood, urine and stools, vomit and saliva, sperm, sweat and vaginal fluid of infected individuals. The disease can also be transmitted through contact with the soiled clothing or bed linens of a sick patient. It is therefore necessary to disinfect them before handling them. Funeral rituals, during which parents and friends come into contact with the corpse, play a critical role in the transmission. Ebola virus can be transmitted to humans when handling contaminated animals, alive or dead: chimpanzees, gorillas and forest antelope. Transmission to health-care workers caring for sick patients has often happened where appropriate infection control measures were not observed and strict barrier nursing techniques and procedures were not implemented. How do we avoid contamination by EHF? Avoid all contact with an Ebola patient or the corpse of a deceased patient, as well as with all dead animals found in the forest. Avoid all direct contact with blood, urine or stools, vomit and saliva, sperm, sweat, organs or biological fluids, soiled clothes or linens of sick individual by using protection. During the funeral: Do not wash, dress, apply make-up, touch or caress the body of the deceased Do not display the corpse on a bed or mat Do not sit around the corpse or lean over the coffin Do not handle or keep the deceased’s everyday objects Do not wash hands in a common basin after the burial Do not keep the corpse, bury the body immediately using protection Do not clip nails, cut hair or take off the clothes of the deceased to bring into the village Avoid transferring suspected cases and sick individuals from one health center to another Avoid all contact with suspected cases Isolate sick patients and rigorously implement strict barrier nursing techniques (wear protection equipment and disinfect equipment) Avoid handling or eating meat from sick or dead animals found in the forest: chimpanzees, gorillas and forest antelopes Avoid traditional practices which favor transmission Avoid scarifications Avoid rectal injection of remedies using a multiple-use rectal bulb syringe Follow general hygiene measures Wash hands regularly using soap Use boiled water or sterilized with chorine Use latrines Dispose of /incinerate household trash Avoid gatherings of suspected cases or people who have been in contact with the disease (in school, during events, etc.) NB: As the primary mode of person-to-person transmission is through contact with contaminated blood, bodily or biological fluids, all individuals who have had a physical contact with sick patients should be kept under a close watch: their temperature should be taken twice a day, with immediate hospitalization and strict isolation should a fever appear. All hospital personnel who have been in close contact with sick patients or contaminated material and who have not implemented strict barrier nursing techniques should be considered exposed and kept under strict medical surveillance. Infection by Ebola virus mimic nonspecific flu-like symptoms such as fever, myalgia, and malaise. Patients with progressed cell damage and infection exhibit severe bleeding and coagulation abnormalities, including gastrointestinal bleeding, rash, and a range of hematological irregularities, such as lymphopenia and neutrophilia. When the immune system is fighting against this viral pathogen, cytokines signal immune cells such as T-cells and macrophages to travel to the site of Ebola virus infection . The immune cells are activated by cytokines, stimulating them to produce more cytokines. The products are then released to interact with the virus. This rapid influx of immune cells contributes to an exaggerated inflammatory immune response which is actually damaging to the tissues infected with virions. Damage to the liver, combined with massive viremia, leads to disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. If the infection progresses in virulence the virus will enter microvascular endothelial cells. Extensive damage by the infiltration of immune cells leads to the terminal stages of Ebola virus infection, which usually include diffuse bleeding, and hypotensive shock accounts for many Ebola virus fatalities. How is this virus transmitted? What precautions need to be taken when working with this deadly virus? The Ebola Virus is transmitted from person to person by intimate contact with infected blood, secretions, organs, or semen . The infectious virus within a host can transmit to others as long as the virus components remain within the blood stream. In the early stages, Ebola may not be highly contagious. Contact with someone in early stages may not even transmit the disease. As the illness progresses, bodily fluids from diarrhea, vomiting, and bleeding represent an extreme biohazard.The infection of human cases with Ebola virus has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, and forest antelopes, both dead and alive, as was documented in Côte dIvoire, the Republic of Congo and Gabon. The transmission of the Ebola Reston strain through the handling of cynomolgus monkeys has also been reported. Caution must be taken even after a patient recovers from the symptoms of this virus. The infected person can transmit the virus to others even after they have fully recovered from illness. Although airborne transmission of Ebola virus is probable, there is no direct evidence of this hypothesis. Health care workers are commonly infected while treating Ebola patients. These workers often must be in close contact with infected patients and infected equipment. The identification and the isolation of virus infected patients is critical and must follow barrier nursing procedures to prevent the rapid spread of this highly contagious pathogen. In countries where sanitation and sterile techniques are not enforced or are simply unattainable, transmission of the virus via basic care techniques is common. Burial ceremonies where mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can play a significant role in the transmission of Ebola. Airborne transmission between monkeys has been observed by an accidental outbreak in a laboratory located in Virginia, USA.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 05:15:44 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015