Ebola virus is one, which causes fatal hemorrhagic
diseases in human and other mammals (like gorilla, chimpanzee, and monkeys etc),
that previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic diseases. It belongs to negative (-ve)
sense, single stranded RNA enveloped virus, further classification is Mononegavirales (order), Filoviridae (family),
Ebola (genus). Ebola virus and its genus were
both originally named for Zaire, the country where it was first described, and was at first suspected to be a new
"strain" of the closely related Marburg virus, The virus was renamed "Ebola
virus" in 2010. There are five identified Ebola virus
species, four of which are known to cause disease in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan
virus (Sudan ebolavirus);
Taï Forest virus (Taï Forest
ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus);
and Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo
ebolavirus). The fifth, Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), has caused disease in
nonhuman primates, but not in humans. The natural reservoir of Ebola virus is
believed to be bats, particularly fruit bats, and it is primarily
transmitted between humans and from animals to humans through body fluids
Brief General History of Ebola
In 1976, Ebola (named after the Ebola
River in Zaire) first emerged in Sudan and Zaire. The first outbreak of Ebola
(Ebola-Sudan) infected over 284 people, with a mortality rate of 53%. A few
months later, the second Ebola virus emerged from Yambuku, Zaire, Ebola-Zaire
(EBOZ). EBOZ, with the highest mortality rate of any of the Ebola viruses
(88%), infected 318 people. Despite the tremendous effort of experienced and
dedicated researchers, Ebola's natural reservoir was never identified. The
third strain of Ebola, Ebola Reston (EBOR), was first identified in 1989 when
infected monkeys were imported into Reston, Virginia, from Mindanao in the
Philippines. Fortunately, the few people who were infected with EBOR
(seroconverted) never developed Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). The last known
strain of Ebola, Ebola Cote d'Ivoire (EBO-CI) was discovered in 1994 when a
female ethologist performing a necropsy on a dead chimpanzee from the Tai
Forest, Cote d'Ivoire, accidentally infected herself during the necropsy.
Causes of Ebola
disease & their transmission
From
animal to animal
The
Ebola virus likely originated in African fruit bats. The virus is known as a
“zoonotic” virus because it’s transmitted to humans from animals. Humans can
also transfer the virus to each other. Other animals known to transmit the
virus include:
·
chimpanzees
·
forest
antelopes
·
gorillas
·
monkeys
·
porcupines
From
person to person
Since people may
handle these infected animals, the virus can be transmitted via the animal’s
blood and body fluids. Once people become infected with Ebola, they can
transmit it to others if people come in contact with their:
·
breast
milk
·
feces
·
saliva
·
semen
·
sweat
·
urine
·
vomit
Symptoms
Signs and
symptoms typically begin abruptly within five to 10 days of infection with
Ebola or Marburg virus. Early signs and symptoms include:
·
Fever
·
Severe
headache
·
Joint
and muscle aches
·
Chills
·
Weakness
Over time,
symptoms become increasingly severe and may include:
·
Nausea
and vomiting
·
Diarrhea
(may be bloody)
·
Red
eyes
·
Raised
rash
·
Chest
pain and cough
·
Stomach
pain
·
Severe
weight loss
·
Bleeding,
usually from the eyes, and bruising (people near death may bleed from other
orifices, such as ears, nose and rectum)
·
Internal
bleeding
Incubation
period
Patients with Ebola virus disease
typically have an abrupt onset of symptoms 6 to 12 days after exposure (range 2
to 21 days). There is no evidence that asymptomatic persons still in the
incubation period are infectious to others. All symptomatic individuals should
be assumed to have virus in the blood and other body fluids, and appropriate
safety precautions should be taken
Diagnosis
Ebola virus is detected in blood only
after onset of symptoms, most notably fever, which accompany the rise in
circulating virus within the patient's body. It may take up to three days after
symptoms start for the virus to reach detectable levels. Laboratory tests used
in diagnosis include:
·
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA)
·
Reverse transcriptase polymerase
chain reaction (RT-PCR)
·
IgM and IgG antibodies presence in
blood.
·
Immunochemistry testing.
Laboratory
findings — Patients with Ebola virus disease
typically develop leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and serum transaminase
elevations, as well as renal and coagulation abnormalities. Other laboratory
findings include a marked decrease in total plasma protein and elevated amylase
levels.
Treatment
Currently, no
specific therapy is available that has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment
of Ebola hemorrhagic fever. Surgical intervention generally follows a mistaken
diagnosis in which Ebola-associated abdominal signs are mistaken for a surgical
abdominal emergency. Such a mistake may be fatal for the patient and for any
surgical team members who become contaminated with the patient’s blood.
There are no
commercially available Ebola vaccines. However, a recombinant human monoclonal
antibody directed against the envelope GP of Ebola has been demonstrated to
possess neutralizing activity. This Ebola neutralizing antibody may be useful
in vaccine development or as a passive prophylactic agent. Work on a vaccine
continues.
FAQ:
1. Do
you ever see a patient, who suffers from Ebola viral disease?
2. What
symptoms do you observed in him?
3. Had
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