How is the Ebola virus transmitted to humans?

Table of Content

What is Ebola?

Ebola the virus is a deadly virus. There are six of them, and four of them can make people sick. After entering the body, it kills cells and causes some of them to explode. It destroys the immune system, causes severe bleeding in the body, and damages almost every organ.

Ebola virus transmitted to humans

The virus is terrible but also rare. You can get it only from direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person.

Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that causes fever, body aches, and diarrhea, and sometimes internal and external bleeding.

The virus causes severe bleeding, paralysis, and can lead to death.

People can spread the virus to other people through contact with body fluids such as blood.

Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and chills. After that, the person can experience internal bleeding and coughing up blood or vomit.

Treatment supports hospital treatment.

As the disease spreads through the body, the immune system becomes weakened and infected. Eventually, it triggers blood-clotting cells. This leads to severe, uncontrolled bleeding. The disease was known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever but has since been called the Ebola virus. It kills up to 90% of infected people.

How Do You Get Ebola?

Ebola is not as contagious as common viruses such as the common cold, the flu, or measles. It is transmitted to humans by contact with the skin or body fluids of an infected animal, such as a monkey, a chimp, or a bat. Then it travels from person to person in the same way. Those who care for a sick person or who are burying a dead person often get it.

Other ways to get Ebola include touching dirty needles or areas.

You cannot get Ebola from the air, water, or food. A person with Ebola but without symptoms cannot spread the disease, either.

You get Ebola from an infected person, and only when they have symptoms. People pass it on to others through their body fluids. Blood, stools, and vomiting are the most common, but semen, urine, sweat, tears, and breast milk are also involved.

To get Ebola, you must get these drinks in your mouth, nose, eyes, genitals, or break your skin. You can also take it from things that have water on them, such as a needle or cloth.

How you won’t get Ebola

You can’t get Ebola from an unusual infection, like living near an infected person. Air, food, and water did not carry the virus. But kissing or sharing food or drink with someone with Ebola can be dangerous, as it can cause saliva to enter the mouth.

What Are the Symptoms of Ebola?

As the disease progresses, it causes vomiting, diarrhea, pimples, and bruising or bleeding without injuries, such as from the eyes or cheeks.

At first, Ebola can feel like a cold or other illness. Symptoms show 2 to 24 days after infection and usually include:

Characteristics/Clinical Presentation

Ebola virus infection is characterized by the following:

1. Early Stage

  • Abdominal pain
  • Anorexia
  • Arthralgia
  • Asthenia (extreme)
  • Back pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Fever (>37.5⁰C)
  • Headache
  • Myalgia
  • Sore throat, vomiting

2. Mid Stage

  • Capillary leak
  • Confusion
  • Difficulty breathing/respiratory distress
  • Headache
  • Low blood pressure
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Rash (maculopapular)

3. Late Stage

  • Delirium
  • Hemorrhage (external/internal)
  • Hiccups
  • Multi-organ failure
  • Shock (hypovolemic and septic)
  • Epilepsy.

As the disease progresses, it causes bleeding inside the body, as well as the eyes, ears, and nose. Some people will vomit or cough up blood, develop bloody diarrhea, and get pimples.

How Is Ebola Diagnosed?

Sometimes it is difficult to tell if a person has Ebola from just symptoms. Doctors can try to rule out other diseases such as cholera or malaria.

Blood and muscle tests can also test Ebola.

If you have Ebola, you will be selected from the public as soon as possible to prevent the spread.

How Is Ebola Treated?

There is no cure for Ebola, though researchers are working on it. Only one drug was approved to treat Ebola. An inmate is a combination of three monoclonal antibodies. Other drugs include a serum test that destroys infected cells.

Doctors manage the symptoms of Ebola with:

  • Fluids and electrolytes
  • Oxygen
  • Blood pressure medication
  • Blood Transfusions
  • Treatment for other infections

Is there a vaccine for Ebola?

The vaccine Rvsv-ZEBOV (Ervabo) is the only vaccine approved to prevent the Zaire strain of Ebola. Researchers are exploring other vaccines that can prevent Ebola, but they still have to test more people to see if they are safe and effective.

Treatment of Ebola virus

The drug Inmazeb, a mixture of three monoclonal antibodies, was approved by the FDA in October 2020 to treat the Zaire Strain in children and adults.  

After Ebola

Survivors of Ebola have other proteins in their blood called antibodies that can protect them from the same virus for more than 10 years. But no one knows if they can sick from the other strains.

In rare cases, the Ebola virus can stay for three months after recovering a person and does not have sex or use condoms to infect others. The infection can stay in breast milk for up to two weeks after return, so women should not breastfeed at that time.

How to prevent Ebola

The best way to prevent Ebola is to stay away from the infected area. If you are exploding:

  • Avoid infecting people, their body fluids, and the bodies of anyone who has died of the disease.
  • Avoid- contact with wildlife, such as bats and monkeys, and their meat.
  • Wash your hands often.
  • After you leave this area, check for changes in your condition for 21 days, and get medical help there if you have any symptoms.

Controlling an Outbreak

Trained health workers find anyone who may have come in contact with an infected person. They look at each of those people for 21 days. If someone shows signs of Ebola, the medical team will test them, treat them, and keep them away from others. Then the staff traces down the person met again. The goal is to stop Ebola from spreading to others.

Ebola Facts

  • There are five types of Ebola virus. Four of them cause human diseases.
  • The Ebola virus was first detected in 1976 in Africa.
  • Ebola derives its name from the Ebola River, near one of the villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the disease first appeared.

Ebola Virus in India

One of the world's extremely severe diseases with near-fatal effects according, to WHO, is Ebola. Its current outbreak is the worst ever. In most cases, infected people die in the year 1976. This deadly virus was first detected in Nazara, Sudan, and in the Yambuka, The Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently heavily confined to tropical regions of In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are few cases in other countries. Ebola fever is endemic in six countries, namely Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, US. Mali is the longest and largest outbreak so far, recording more than 14000 charges, including 5177 deaths up to 11 May 2014.

A man tries to diagnose Ebola at Delhi Airport.

 India, which has so far remained undamaged from the virus, has received a new report after an Indian citizen as a sample showed the remains of the Ebola virus. The man, a 26- year old Indian, working in Liberia, was earlier treated and cured of the Deadly virus, is kept in isolation at Delhi airport Health Organization Quarantine Centre.

SYMPTOMS

  •   Diarrhea
  •   Rash
  •   Bruising or bleeding without an injury like from eyes or gums
  •   High fever
  •   Headache
  •   Joint and muscle aches
  •   Sore throat
  •   Weakness
  •   Stomach pain
  •   Lack of appetite
  •   Vomiting
  •   Poor liver function
  •   Impaired kidney
  •   Low white blood cells
  •  Low platelet counts

The spread of the Ebola virus

Generally, the virus is transmitted from animals to humans. The virus is transmitted through the bloodstream of a person infected by the virus. Or by handling dirty water such as urine, saliva, and sweat. The virus is also transmitted through damaged cells. Infected men, even after recovery, can transmit the virus through her husband. According to WHO, it is the health workers and family members of the infected person who are most at risk of Ebola fever.

Treatment of the virus

 Some vaccines are under trial and tested but not yet ready for treatment. The only drug offered is a type of vaccine.

Supportive therapy in the form of:-

  •         Maintaining Fluid and electrolytes in the patient's body.
  •         Oxygen storage is part of the body.
  •         Maintaining blood pressure
  •         Treatment for pain relief
  •         Medications and injections to treat any other viral infection in the body

Prevention

  • If an animal is suspected of being infected with the virus, the precautionary measure is to separate the entire group of animals.
  • The infected animals should be culled or slaughtered, and their bodies should be destroyed.
  • An infected person should be quarantined.
  • Health workers and family members should wear protective clothing when visiting the patient.
  • Continued use of infection-control measures in health facilities as well as in other areas of patient care.

Is India prepared for Ebola?

Ebola continues to be declared a global epidemic, and therefore all countries need to raise the level of attention to the worst cases.  India- too- should be on alert. The reason is that about 45000 Indians are living in Ebola-affected countries and there is every chance that Indians visiting can bring it home. In India, the steps taken by the health ministry to deal with the deadly virus, if it is found over here:

An emergency 24-hour helpline has been set up. The telephone numbers are (011) 23061469, 3205, and 1302.

Strict warnings were given at airports and stations.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that the most advanced surveillance and tracking system for the virus have- been put into action, and there is nothing to worry about. He also said that the chances of Ebola in India are very- low.

Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi was identified as Healthcare Center in India for treatment and EVD case management.

Reports also say that Indian missionaries have met with Indian nationals in the affected countries and have been given all the training they need to take precautionary measures.

Further steps were taken at the stadium.

A good search for migrants, especially coming from the African Nations.

All travelers traveling to India via Airways from Ebola-affected countries must complete the check form.

Travelers' addresses are stored so that they can be easily traced if there are signs.

Forcing to communicate with travelers on the lookout for immigration.

Airport officials in the cultural and entry areas should continue to monitor.

Help desk set up at airports and ports to deal with travelers showing any potential Ebola symptoms.

Immediate action to be taken after detection. Airport officials are in touch with the doctor.

 There are 2-3 reports of Indian passengers coming from the affected countries carrying the virus infection with them. But proper screening reported negative results.

So far- so good. With the Assurance given by the health ministry and with the preventive measures taken, we hope that things will be brought under control if all the disease is detected in the country. Considering India's history of dealing with other diseases such as Swine Flu, dengue, the situation seems hopeless. Will India really be able to cope with such a dangerous disease outbreak when the country with its over billion population is not fully to set adequate isolation and containment and treatment facilities.  In the meantime left ourselves to take precautions like maintaining cleanliness all the time, visiting the doctor if we detect any symptoms, and increasing awareness among the people about the disease.

All the best…………

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