Ebola

What is it?

  • Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the five identified Ebola virus.
  • Ebola was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in the country now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa.

How does Ebola spread?

  • Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) by:
    • Person-to-person: person’s body fluids (blood, urine, saliva, feces, vomit, and semen)
    • Surface-to person: objects (such as needles) contaminated with infected body fluids
    • Animal-to-person: Contact with infected animals in Africa (wild animals hunted for meat or bats)
  • Ebola cannot be spread by air, water, or food.

What are the symptoms?

  • If you have traveled to countries with active Ebola outbreaks within the last 3 weeks, and develop symptoms that include fever (greater than 101.5°F) and any of the followings:
    • Severe headache
    • Muscle pain
    • Weakness
    • Diarrhea
    • Vomiting
    • Abdominal (stomach) pain
    • Lack of appetite
    • Unusual bleeding
  • Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to a person with Ebola, although 8-10 days is most common.

Prevention

What is the treatment?

  • No specific vaccine or medicine proven to be effective against Ebola.
  • Treat Ebola symptoms as they appear following basic intervention methods
  • Recovery from Ebola depends on the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years, possibly longer.

**  This information was compiled by the Asian Center – Southeast MI from the CDC Website