In the past couple of
weeks, one of the hottest news topics is about the Ebola virus outbreak in
Western Africa. In today's post I will provide you with a summary of
information that was found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
website to help you, my reader's become better informed about this topic. I refer you to the direct link for the CDC's
website which contains more comprehensive information (highlighted in the
previous sentence).
What
is the Ebola Virus?
Ebola hemorrhagic fever
is one type of many Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (2014). Ebola can often be fatal to humans, monkeys,
gorillas, and chimpanzees. According to
the CDC, those that have researched and studied Ebola outbreaks believe the
virus is spread by an animal, such as a
bat being the most likely culprit (2014).
There are five different subtypes of Ebola of which four have been
caused by animals that are native to Africa.
How
is Ebola Transmitted?
The CDC tells us that
the scientists have yet to prove how the viral infection first begins in the
human population, but believe it starts with one patient coming into contact
with an infected animal (2014). The
virus can be spread through direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids of
an infected person. The Huffington Post
adds that bodily fluids such as blood, sweat, and urine have to make direct
contact with orifices (openings) such as the eyes, ears, nose, and open wounds
for one to become infected with the disease (2014). Another form of transmission would be direct
contact with objects like a needle or surgical instrument that contains
infected secretions. Family members are often infected because they come into
close contact with infected relatives.
What
are the Signs and Symptoms of Ebola?
The CDC lists the
following as common signs and symptoms:
·
Headache, fever, achy joints and muscles
·
General weakness, diarrhea, and vomiting
·
Abdominal pain and lack of appetite
(2014)
It is interesting to note that the flu can
cause any of the above listed signs and symptoms as well. Therefore, one should not believe they have
the Ebola virus at first appearance of these outward signs.
The CDC tells us that some patients may
exhibit the following:
·
Rash, red eyes, hiccups and a cough
·
Sore throat, chest pain, difficulty
breathing/swallowing
·
Internal or external bleeding (2014)
Again, I caution you, the reader not to
panic as any of these signs and symptoms can occur do to a variety of illnesses
or conditions. If you have any concerns
about your health in general, please see your licensed healthcare
provider. The CDC further relates that
first appearance of post-exposure symptoms can occur anywhere from two days to
three weeks after a direct contact with infected fluids has occurred. However, eight to ten days is more common
(2014).
The website notes that some infected
patients can recover from Ebola infection and some don't. It is not clear why this happens but
scientists believe those that die did not have a well developed immune response
to Ebola at the time of infection.
Am
I at Risk for Exposure?
As of this writing, the CDC states that
all deaths or illness due to Ebola have occurred in Africa. During this current outbreak, those most at
risk are both healthcare workers and family members who are treating or caring
for sick patients respectively (2014).
How
to Prevent the Spread of Ebola
 |
| Education: A better informed public. |
One key method of preventing the spread of
the Ebola virus is educating both healthcare workers and the general
population. A better informed populace
will help to quell widespread panic. The
CDC provides the following as protective measures for healthcare workers:
·
body substance isolation precautions
(gloves, gowns, masks and goggles)
·
Isolating infected persons from the
general public
·
Sterilize all equipment, furniture, and
rooms in contact with the infected patients
 |
| Body Substance Isolation Precautions |
This post is just a quick educational
primer about the Ebola virus and by no means provides complete information
about this important topic. I did not
discuss the diagnosis and treatment of this virus as it is beyond the scope of
this blog. My intent was to provide
basic information as well as refer the reader to cited sources. I
encourage you to do additional reading about this topic and consult your
licensed healthcare provider should you have any remaining questions.
The information in this post is current as
of August 6th, 2014 and any noted statistics on the website may change as this
outbreak develops.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014). About
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever. Retrieved
from http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html
on 8/6/2014.
HuffPost Healthy Living (2014). The Most Destructive Myths About Ebola
Virus, Debunked. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/06/ebola-myths_n_5655662.html
on 8/6/2014.
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