Electron micrograph of an Ebola virus. Photo: Wikipedia
Ebola is one of the deadliest viruses ever known to human with a case fatality rate of up to 90%. The virus first emerged in 1976 near the river Ebola in democratic republic of Congo from where the virus got its name. The natural carrier of the virus is the African fruit bat. Other mammals like the monkeys, gorillas, chimps can also catch and spread the virus. The virus directly attacks the immune system and infected patients die within days. 729 people died (July 27, 2014) in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria in the outbreak this time. Currently we don’t have any medicine or vaccine for this virus.
Médecins Sans Frontières facility in Guekedou, southern Guinea, Photo: AFP/ Getty Images, found on dailymail.co.uk
How does it spread?
Human consumption of infected wild animals like bats and monkeys in Africa has been linked to the transmission of Ebola from animals to human. The virus spreads through contact with the blood, body fluid or tissue of an infected person. Airborne transmission like transmission through coughing or sneezing may also be possible.
Symptoms
- High fever
- Vomiting
- Muscle pain
- Weakness
- Failure of blood vessels
- Sore throat
- Rash
- Diarrhea
- Internal and external bleeding
- Liver and kidney failure, etc.
What steps have been taken so far?
As the virus is very contagious and deadly, the main strategy is to quarantine the Ebola victims to lessen the casualty. The World Health Organization (WHO) manages the Ebola outbreaks. Here is a video how they are working:
Sierra Leone has declared a state of emergency and called in troops to quarantine Ebola victims. From Washington Post, the measures taken by Sierra Leone include:
- Sealing off towns and homes where the disease is identified until they are cleared by medical teams.
- Restricting public meetings and gatherings.
- “Active surveillance and house-to-house searches” designed to trace Ebola victims and people who might have been exposed.
- New protocols for screening both arriving and departing passengers at the country’s main airport.
With death toll this high, it is clear that we need to put more efforts in fighting it and coordinate the response globally to make sure that the outbreak do not spread any further.
If you have some time you should watch the following NOVA documentary:
Sources:
1. Wikipedia
2. BoingBoing
3. Washington Post
4. Time