EBOLA VIRUS

Aug 25 , 2014 | 2 min read

TRANSMISSION OF VIRUS

Close contact with blood, secretions, organs and other body fluids of infected animals or humans(Chimpanzees, gorillas, bats, monkeys, antelopes-ill or dead in rainforests)
Burial ceremonies where mourners have direct contact with body of deceased
Men who have recovered from the disease can transmit virus through semen for up to 7 weeks
It is not airborne

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

INCUBATION PERIOD: 2-21 days

DIAGNOSIS

EXCLUDE other diseases including malaria, typhoid, cholera, leptospirosis, rickettsiosis, meningitis, hepatitis, viral hemorrhagic fever including dengue
Several tests are available for ebola including ELISA, Antigen detection tests, RT-PCR, electron microscopy, virus isolation by cell culture
These tests cannot be carried out in routine labs as samples from these patients are extreme biohazard and tests are conducted under maximum biological containment in specialised labs only.

Also Check Symptoms of Typhoid

VACCINE AND TREATMENT

No vaccine
Trials on and first batch of vaccines expected by 2015
No specific treatment available. Patient needs hydration and severely ill need ICU supportive care
New drugs being evaluated. ZMapp , an experimental drug used in US healthcare workers amidst controversy as not yet adequately tested or approved by FDA

PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Active animal health surveillance system to detect new cases and warn human public health authorities
In humans, reducing risk of wildlife to human transmission from infected bats or monkeys
Adequately cooked meats are not a source of infection
Human to human transmission reduced by avoiding direct or close contact with infected patients particularly their body fluids
Gloves and appropriate protective clothing
Transmission to healthcare workers has been observed when appropriate infection control measures have not been observed. it is not always possible to identify patients with ebola early because initial symptoms maybe nonspecific. So healthcare workers will have to use standard precautions with all patients irrespective of diagnosis and at all times
When in close contact within 1 metre of patients, healthcare workers should wear face shield or a face mask with goggles, a clean non sterile long sleeved gown and gloves
Hand hygiene
Quarantine/enforced isolation
Burial and rituals like embalming discouraged

MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY

Two American aid workers infected with ebola in west Africa were treated in a hospital in Atlanta in a containment unit. A Spanish priest died from ebola after return from Africa
This outbreak has caused more mortality than any of the previous outbreaks since 1976
Two leading doctors-Dr Cole and Dr Sheik Humarr Khan succumbed to the current epidemic in Sierra Leone.

Dr Monica MAHAJAN
Lead Consultant Internal Medicine Max Healthcare