Entry #8 Ebola 

Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) (sometimes called Ebola Virus Disease, or EVD) is the disease caused by infection with an Ebola virus. Ebola is one of the deadliest viruses known to medical science, with no specific cure and mortality rates of up to 90 percent.

Frederick A. Murphy/CDC

The Ebola virus, pictured above in the image from a special type of microscope, is the agent that causes Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF).

In areas of Africa where Ebola viruses are common, suspected reservoirs include primate and bat populations. The disease infects humans through close contact with infected animals, including chimpanzees, fruit bats and forest antelope.It then spreads between humans by direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or organs, or indirectly through contact with contaminated environments. To get Ebola, you’d have to get these fluids in your mouth, nose, eyes, genitals, or a break in your skin. You could also pick it up from items that have fluids on them, like needles or sheets.You can’t get Ebola from casual contact, like sitting next to an infected person. Air, food, and water don’t carry the virus. But kissing or sharing food or a drink with someone who has Ebola could be a risk.

Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding, sometimes from the eyes and the mouth. People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus - in some cases, up to seven weeks after they recover.

How Many People Have Been Infected in Africa? 

More than 23,200 people in Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone have contracted Ebola, according to the World Health Organization, making this the biggest outbreak on record. More than 9,300 people have died. The presidents of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea appealed for more aid to help fight the disease.

“The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is unlike anything since the emergence of HIV/Aids”, top US medical official Thomas Frieden has said.

What Is Being Done to Improve Medical Treatment in Africa?

To stop the spread of Ebola, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) is coordinating the construction and staffing of treatment centers across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. As of October 2014, there were 15 operational centers, with a total of 1,047 beds — but this is just a small fraction of the 41 new treatment centers that the W.H.O. has been trying to get into operation. The lack of infrastructure and of medical personnel makes the construction and staffing of centers difficult.

“A fast global response could ensure that it did not become ‘the next Aids’, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

How Many Ebola Patients Have Been Treated Outside of Africa?

At least 24 cases have been treated in Europe and the United States. Many were health and aid workers who contracted Ebola in West Africa and were transported back to their home countries for treatment.

 What Is the United States Doing to Make Sure That Ebola Does Not Spread?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categorizes Ebola virus as a Category A select agent. This group includes high-priority agents that pose a risk to national security because they can be easily disseminated or transmitted from person to person; result in high mortality rates and have the potential for major public health impact; might cause public panic and social disruption; and require special action for public health preparedness. Federal, state and local officials are identifying hospitals to be used as Ebola treatment centers. Of the nation’s 100 state public health laboratories, 24 are ready to test for Ebola.

The five United States airports screening travelers from West Africa for fever are: Kennedy International, Washington Dulles International, O’Hare International, Hartsfield-Jackson International and Newark Liberty International.

Passengers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will have their temperatures taken and have to answer questions.

With the start of 2015 we have much more hope. The number of infected people is decreasing. Hopefully by the end of the year, there will be no new cases of Ebola virus.

First Ebola vaccine trial started in Africa and a safe and effective vaccine is hoped for by the end of 2015.