It began with a just a handful of cases in Guinea in March. But it
spread quickly to two other countries and is now the deadliest outbreak of
Ebola virus on record.
At least 759 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone
and Liberia have been infected by Ebola since its symptoms were first observed
four months ago, according to the World
Health Organization. 467 of them have died. That's a 61.5 percent mortality
rate.
The WHO says "drastic action is
needed" to contain the virus, which has spread from rural areas to cities
in West Africa. It has dispatched teams of experts to the region and is holding
talks this week with the health ministers from 11 countries about what to do
next.
Why does Ebola generate such
fear?
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) describes Ebola as "one of the
world's most deadly diseases."
"It is a highly infectious virus that
can kill up to 90% of the people who catch it, causing terror among infected
communities," it says.
There is also no vaccination against it.
Of Ebola's five sub-types, the Zaire strain
-- the first to be identified -- is considered the most deadly.
The WHO said preliminary tests on the Ebola virus in Guinea in March
suggested that the outbreak there was this strain, although that has not been
confirmed.
What is Ebola?
The Ebola virus causes viral hemorrhagic fever
(VHF), which according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), refers to a group of viruses that affect multiple organ
systems in the body and are often accompanied by bleeding.
The virus is named after the Ebola River in
the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), where one of the first
outbreaks occurred in 1976. The same year there was another outbreak in Sudan.
The WHO says there are five different strains
of the virus -- named after the areas they originated in. Three of these have
been associated with large outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever in Africa.
These are the Bundibugyo -- an area of Uganda
where the virus was discovered in 2007 -- Sudan and Zaire sub-types.
What are Ebola's symptoms?
Early symptoms of the Ebola virus include
sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, headaches and a sore throat.
These symptoms can appear two to 21 days after infection.
The WHO says these non-specific early
symptoms can be mistaken for signs of diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever,
meningitis or even the plague.
MSF says some patients may also develop a
rash, red eyes, hiccups, chest pains and difficulty breathing and swallowing.
The early symptoms progress to vomiting,
diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function and sometimes internal and
external bleeding.
Ebola can only be definitively confirmed by
five different laboratory tests.
How is it treated?
There are no specific treatments for Ebola.
MSF says patients are isolated and then supported by health care workers.
"This consists of hydrating the patient,
maintaining their oxygen status and blood pressure and treating them for any
complicating infections," it says.
There have been cases of healthcare workers contracting the virus
from patients and the World Health Organization has issued guidance for dealing with confirmed or suspected cases of the
virus.
Carers are advised to wear impermeable gowns
and gloves and to wear facial protection such as goggles or a medical mask to
prevent splashes to the nose, mouth and eyes.
MSF says it contained a 2012 outbreak in
Uganda by placing a control area around its treatment center. An outbreak is
considered over once 42 days -- double the incubation period of the disease --
have passed without any new cases.
How does it spread?
The WHO says it is believed that fruit bats
may be the natural host of the Ebola virus in Africa, passing on the virus to
other animals.
Humans contract Ebola through contact with
the bodily fluids of infected animals.
The WHO says in Africa there have been
documented cases of humans falling ill after contact with dead or ill
chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines.
It says Ebola later spreads from
human-to-human via contact with bodily fluids containing the virus. The virus
can be spread through contact with an object contaminated with infected
secretions.
Direct contact with the corpses of Ebola
victims can also result in infection and the virus can be transmitted via
infected semen up to seven weeks after clinical recovery.
MSF says while the virus is believed to be
able to survive for some days in liquid outside an infected organism, it is
fragile and chlorine disinfection, heat, direct sunlight, soaps and detergents
can kill it.
MSF epidemiologist Kamiliny Kalahne says
outbreaks usually spread in areas where hospitals have poor infection control
and limited access to resources such as running water.
"People who become sick with it almost
always know how they got sick: because they looked after someone in their
family who was very sick -- who had diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding -- or
because they were health staff who had a lot of contact with a sick
patient," she says.
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