Ebola

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe and often deadly disease affecting humans and primates. Ebola was first recognized in 1976, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus (Read about "Microorganisms") can be transmitted in several ways according to CDC:

• direct contact with blood or secretions of a person sick with Ebola
• exposure through contact with objects, like needles, that have been contaminated with infected secretions
• infected animals

The onset of Ebola is abrupt and characterized by the following symptoms:

• fever
• headache
• joint and muscle aches
• sore throat
• weakness
• diarrhea (Read about "Diarrhea")
• vomiting
• stomach pain
• rash (Read about "Skin Rash")
• red eyes
• hiccups
• internal and external bleeding (Read about "Gastrointestinal Bleeding")

Symptoms of Ebola infection may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days, according to CDC.

While laboratory tests (Read about "Laboratory Testing") can help diagnose Ebola within a few days of the onset of symptoms, there is no tested and proven treatment for Ebola. Patients receive supportive therapy, which includes balancing fluids and electrolytes, maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure and treating any complicating infections.

CDC says that once someone recovers from Ebola, they usually no longer spread the virus. However, Ebola virus has been found in semen for up to 3 months. Abstinence from sex is recommended for at least 3 months.

Healthcare workers and family

Healthcare providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with infected blood or body fluids of sick patients.

It is essential that you notify health officials if you have had direct contact with the blood or body fluids, such as but not limited to, feces, saliva, urine, vomit, and semen of a person who is sick with Ebola. The virus can enter the body through broken skin or unprotected mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth.

Risk guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued risk guidelines to use in assessing the people who may have been exposed to Ebola. There are four levels of risk in the guidelines.

The first are people with high risk exposures. This would include, for example, a needle stick from someone who has been caring for Ebola patients. Or someone who had a known exposure to a patient with Ebola, for example, a family member who cared for someone when they were sick without using protective equipment.

The next level is the some-risk category. In that category, would be someone in the household of a patient with Ebola but who didn't provide any direct care or direct contact, or a healthcare worker returning from Africa where they've been caring for patients with Ebola.

Next would be low, but non-zero risk people, such as someone whose been traveling within the affected countries, but has had no known exposure. Also in that category would be healthcare personnel, a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare staff that has been working at a United States facility caring for an individual with Ebola.

The fourth category is those who have no identified risk, for example, individuals who did not travel to one of the affected countries or traveled more than 21 days ago.

CDC says local health agencies can use the guidelines to help decide how to monitor travelers that arrive in their areas.

Care guidelines

CDC has issued guidelines for the care of potential and confirmed Ebola patients. The guidelines are more stringent than previous guidelines.

The guidelines have three parts.

• Prior to working with Ebola patients, anyone who is going to work with them must be repeatedly trained in and demonstrate competency performing all of the things that they're going to need to do, specifically putting on and taking off proper personal protective equipment (PPE).
• No skin may be exposed when PPE is worn.
• Every step of every time a health care worker puts on and takes off personal protective equipment they must be supervised by a trained observer who documents proper completion of established PPE protocols.

Dedicated medical equipment (preferable disposable, when possible) should be used by healthcare personnel providing patient care. Proper cleaning and disposal of instruments, such as needles and syringes, is also important. If instruments are not disposable, they must be sterilized before being used again. Without adequate sterilization of the instruments, virus transmission can continue and amplify an outbreak.

Travelers

If you must travel to an area affected by an Ebola outbreak, CDC says you can help protect yourself by doing the following:

• Wash hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of any person, particularly someone who is sick.
• Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person's blood or body fluids.
• Do not touch the body of someone who has died from Ebola.
• Do not touch bats and primates or their blood and fluids and do not touch or eat raw meat prepared from these animals.
• Avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated. The U.S. Embassy or consulate is often able to provide advice on medical facilities.
• Seek medical care immediately if you develop fever (temperature of 100.4°F/ 38.0°C or higher) and any of the other following symptoms: headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bruising or bleeding.