What is Ebola virus disease?
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]bola virus disease is a serious, usually fatal, disease for which there are no licensed vaccines or treatments. But for people living in countries outside Africa, it remains a very low threat.
Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals, chimpanzee, gorilla, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelopes and porcupines.
How does it spread among people?
People can become infected with the Ebola virus if they come into contact with the blood, body fluids or organs of an infected person.
Most people are infected by giving care to other infected people, either by directly touching the victim’s body or by cleaning up body fluids (stools, urine or vomit) that carry infectious blood.
What are the Symptoms?An infected person will typically develop a fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, sore throat and intense muscle weakness. These symptoms start suddenly, between 2 and 21 days after becoming infected, but usually after 5-7 days.
Diarrhoea, vomiting, a rash, stomach pain and impaired kidney and liver function follow.
The patient then bleeds internally, and may also bleed from the ears, eyes, nose or mouth.
Ebola virus disease is fatal in 50-90% of cases. The sooner a person is given Medical care, the better the chances that patient will survive.
How is it treated?
There’s currently no specific treatment or licensed vaccine for Ebola virus disease, although potential new vaccines and drug therapies are being developed and tested. Patients are managed conservatively.
What are the measures to be taken to avoid EBVD?
• Don’t handle dead animals or their raw meat
• Don’t eat ‘bush meat’
• Avoid contact with patients who have symptoms
• Avoid having sex with people in risk areas; use condom if you do
• Make sure fruit and vegetable is washed and peeled before you eat it
• Wash hands frequently using soap and water (alcohol hand rubs when soap is not available), as this destroys the virus
How is it diagnosed?
• Ebola virus disease can be diagnosed definitively in the laboratory. Presently test for diagnosis is done at National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi.
What you should do if you get similar symptoms?
• Seek timely Medical help from the nearest Health Unit or Hospital
For any queries contact
1. State Surveillance Unit (SSU) Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) Directorate of Health & Family welfare, Kohima: Nagaland
Email: nlssu.idsp@nic.in
2. All District Hospitals.
IEC Bureau
Directorate of Health & family Welfare
Nagaland: Kohima
