Ebola now growing to be a world threat and to stay alive lovely reader you need to know the vectors symptoms and stay alive as it is physically contagious.........
Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is a disease of humans and other primates caused by the Ebola virus. Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches. Typically nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea follow, along with decreased functioning of the liver andkidneys. Around this time, affected people may begin to bleed both within the body and externally. [1]
The virus may be acquired upon contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal (commonly monkeys or fruit bats).[1] Spread through the air has not been documented in the natural environment.[2] Fruit bats are believed to carry and spread the virus without being affected. Once human infection occurs, the disease may spread between people as well. Male survivors may be able to transmit the disease via semen for nearly two months. In order to make the diagnosis, typically other diseases with similar symptoms such as malaria, cholera, and other viral hemorrhagic feversare first excluded. To confirm the diagnosis, blood samples are tested for viral antibodies, viral RNA, or the virus itself.[1]
Prevention includes decreasing the spread of disease from other infected animals to humans. This may be done by checking such animals for infection and killing and properly disposing of the bodies if the disease is discovered. Properly cooking meat and wearing protective clothing when handling meat may also be helpful, as are wearing protective clothing and washing hands when around a person with the disease. Samples of bodily fluids and tissues from people with the disease should be handled with special caution.[1]
There is no specific treatment for the disease.[1] Efforts to help those who are infected are supportive and include giving either oral rehydration therapy (slightly sweet and salty water to drink) or intravenous fluids.[1] The disease has a highmortality rate, often killing between 50% and 90% of those infected with the virus.[1][3] EVD was first identified in Sudanand the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The disease typically occurs in outbreaks in tropical regions of Sub-Saharan Africa.[1] From 1976 (when it was first identified) through 2013, fewer than 1,000 people per year have been infected.[1][4] The largest outbreak to date is the ongoing 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which is affecting Guinea,Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria.[5][6] As of August 2014, more than 1,750 suspected cases have been reported.[7]Efforts are ongoing to develop a vaccine; however, none yet exists.[1]Signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms of Ebola usually begin suddenly with a flu-like stage characterized by fatigue, fever, headaches, and joint, muscle, and abdominal pain.[9][10] Vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite are also common.[10] Less common symptoms include the following: sore throat, chest pain, hiccups, shortness of breath and trouble swallowing.[10] The average time between contracting the infection and the start of symptoms is 8 to 10 days, but it can vary between 2 and 21 days.[10] Skin manifestations may include a maculopapular rash (in about 50% of cases).[11] Early symptoms of EVD may be similar to those of malaria, dengue fever, or other tropical fevers, before the disease progresses to the bleeding phase.[9]
In 40–50% of cases, bleeding from puncture sites and mucous membranes (e.g. gastrointestinal tract, nose, vagina, andgums) has been reported.[12] In the bleeding phase, which typically starts 5 to 7 days after first symptoms[13] internal and subcutaneous bleeding may present itself through reddening of the eyes and bloody vomit.[9] Bleeding into the skin may create petechiae, purpura, ecchymoses, and hematomas (especially around needle injection sites). Types of bleeding known to occur with Ebola virus disease include vomiting blood, coughing it up or blood in the stool. Heavy bleeding is rare and is usually confined to the gastrointestinal tract.[11][14] In general, the development of bleeding symptoms often indicates a worse prognosis and this blood loss can result in death.[9] All people infected show some symptoms of circulatory systeminvolvement, including impaired blood clotting.[11] If the infected person does not recover, death due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome occurs within 7 to 16 days (usually between days 8 and 9) after first symptoms.[13]
Causes
Main articles: ebolavirus (taxonomic group) and Ebola virus (specific virus)
EVD is caused by four of five viruses classified in the genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, order Mononegavirales. The four disease-causing viruses are Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), Sudan virus (SUDV), Taï Forest virus (TAFV), and one called simply,Ebola virus (EBOV, formerly Zaire Ebola virus)). Ebola virus is the sole member of the Zaire ebolavirus species, and the most dangerous of the known Ebola disease causing viruses, as well as being responsible for the largest number of outbreaks.[15]The fifth virus, Reston virus (RESTV), is not thought to be disease-causing in humans. The five Ebola viruses are closely related to the Marburg viruses.
Transmission
It is not entirely clear how Ebola is spread.[16] EVD is believed to occur after an ebola virus is transmitted to an initial human by contact with an infected animal's body fluids. Human-to-human transmission can occur via direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from an infected person (including embalming of an infected dead person) or by contact with contaminated medical equipment, particularly needles and syringes.[17] Semen is infectious in survivors for up to 50 days. Transmission through oral exposure and through conjunctiva exposure is likely[18] and has been confirmed in non-human primates.[19] The potential for widespread EVD infections is considered low as the disease is only spread by direct contact with the secretions from someone who is showing signs of infection.[17] The quick onset of symptoms makes it easier to identify sick individuals and limits a person's ability to spread the disease by traveling. Because dead bodies are still infectious, some doctors disposed of them in a safe manner, despite local traditional burial rituals.[20]
Medical workers who do not wear appropriate protective clothing may also contract the disease.[21] In the past, hospital-acquired transmission has occurred in African hospitals due to the reuse of needles and lack of universal precautions.[22][23]
Airborne transmission has not been documented during previous EVD outbreaks.[2] They are, however, infectious as breathable 0.8–1.2 micrometre laboratory generated droplets;[24] because of this potential route of infection, these viruses have been classified as Category A biological weapons.[25] Recently the virus has been shown to travel without contact from pigs to non-human primates, although the same study failed to achieve transmission in that manner between primates.[26]
Bats drop partially eaten fruits and pulp, then land mammals such as gorillas and duikers feed on these fallen fruits. This chain of events forms a possible indirect means of transmission from the natural host to animal populations, which has led to research towards viral shedding in the saliva of bats. Fruit production, animal behavior, and other factors vary at different times and places that may trigger outbreaks among animal populations.[27] ENSURE YOU BATH TWICE DAILY, WATCH YOUR HANDS AND KEEP YOUR ENVIRONMENT TIDY.....AS NO CURE IS PROVEN KILLER OF EBOLA VIRUS
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