Ebola Epidemic: Unit 3

UNIT 3
Ebola Epidemic
Ebola virus desease (EVD), formely known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often
fatal illnes in humans. The virus is transmited to people from wils animals and spreads in the
human population through human-to-human transmission. The Ebola virus likely originated
in african fruit the virus is known as a zoonotic virus because transmitted to humans from
animals. Humans can transfer the virus to each other. The following animals can transmit the
virus: chimpanzees, gorrilas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope, porcupines,. Since people
may handle these infected animals, virus can be transmitted via the animal’s blood body
fluids.
Risk Factors and Transmission
Unlike other types of viruses, Ebola can’t be transmitted through the air or by touch alone.
You have direct contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has it. The virus may be
transmitted through: blood, diarrhea, breast milk, feces, saliva, semen, sweat, urine, vomit.
These bodily fluids can all carry the Ebola virus. Transmission can occur the eyes, nose,
mouth, broken skin, or sexual contact. Healthcare workers are especially at risk for
contracting Ebola because they often deal with blood and bodily fluids. Other risk Factors
include: exposure to infected objects, such as needles, interactions with infected animals,
attending burial ceremonies of someone who hasdied from Ebola, traveling to areas a recent
outbreak has occurred.
What Are the Symptoms of Ebola?
According to the centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) Ebola Symptoms
typically appear within 8 to 10 days after exposure: however, Symptoms can appear as early
as two days after exposure or take as three weeks to appear. Extreme fatigue is often the first
and most prominent symptom. Other symptoms include: diarrhea, fever, headache, muscle
pain, unexplained bleeding or bruising, vomiting. If we have come in contact with or
provided care to someone diagnosed Ebola or handled infected animals and have any
symptoms you should immediate medical attention.
How Is Ebola Diagnosed?
The early symptoms of Ebola can closely mimic other disease like the malaria, and typhoid
fever. Blood tests can identify antibodies of the Ebola virus. These may also either unusually
low or high white blood cell counts, low pletelet counts, elevant liver enzymes, abnormal
coagulatiom Factors levels. Since Ebola may occur within three weeks 21 days, Ebola is
ruled out.
How Is Ebola Treated?
The Ebola virus does not have a cure or vaccine at this time. Instead, measures are taken to
keep the person as comfortable as possible. Supportive care measures may include: giving
medications to maintain blood pressure managing electrolyte balances providing extra
oxygen, if needed, providing intravenous and/or oral fluids to prevent dehydration, treating
coexisting infections, preventing other infections from occurring, administering blood
products if indicated.
Maping the out break of Ebola
In fact, the epidemic killed five times more than all other known Ebola outbreaks combined.
More than 21 months on from the first confirmed case recorded on 23 march 2014,11,315
people have been reported as having died from the desease in six countries: Liberia, guinea,
sierra leone, nigeria, the Us and Mali.the total number of reported cases is about 28,637. In
other hand, on 13 january 2016.
The World Health Organization declared the last of the countries affacted, Liberia to be
Ebola-free. The World Health: Organization (WHO) admits the figures are underestimates,
given the difficulty collecting the data. There needs to be 42 days without any new cases for a
country to be declared officially over by the WHO in october 2014. Sierra Leone and Guinea
both had much larger outbreaks and it look a little longer. Sierra Leone was declared
Ebola-free on 7 November 2015, Guinea followed in December.
Liberia has been the worst-hit, with more than 4,800 dead an 10,672 becoming infected. The
WHO said that at the peak of transmission, during August and September 2014, liberia was
declared over on 9 may 2015, only to re-emerge seven weeks later when a 17 years old man
died from the disease an more cases were reported. The same happened in September, which
is why the lastest declaration of Liberia being Ebola-free, while welcome, should be treated
coution, say correspondents.
Excersise
Answer to these questions below!
1. How is the EVD transmitted?
2. What countries that affacted by EVD?
3. Why Liberia became the worst-hit affacted by EVD?
4. How to diagnosed EVD and mention the symptom of Ebola?
5. ‘It’ in the second paragraph refers to...

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UNIT 3

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