Ebola

ANSWER

Ebola

Define the disease

Ebola hemorrhagic fever, as the Ebola virus disease (EVD) was formerly known, is not very common currently, but it is a fatal condition for human beings if untreated. Initially, the virus is transmitted to human beings from animals, after which it spreads through human-to-human transmission (Baseler et al., 2017. The virus gets its name from its most significant DRC outbreak in a village close to the Ebola River. Around this period, 1976, the virus was first discovered in South Sudan and DRC simultaneously.

Demographics of the disease

Since the virus was discovered, it has been more dominant in Africa, especially central and western Africa. People who make visits to the sub-Saharan side of Africa stand higher chances of contracting the virus. Far from that, other populations most at risk are the healthcare providers caring for the infected people like hospital workers and laboratory workers responsible for handling blood and other body fluids.

Cause of the disease

As mentioned earlier, Ebola is considered a zoonosis condition because it is believed to be a virus present in animals before it is transmitted to humans. However, it is still not known how the transmission occurs when there is an outbreak. In African countries, people who contract the disease are mostly associated with handling infected animals, whether still alive or dead. These animals range from gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, porcupines, and chimpanzees, to mention some.

Signs and symptoms of the disease(if it applies to include stages, levels, or types of the disease)

The incubation period of Ebola is two to twenty-one days depending on the person. Until the symptoms begin to show, a person on the incubation period cannot transmit the virus. The symptoms progress from dry symptoms to wet symptoms as the disease advances. The most common dry symptoms that come in the early stages of contracting the virus include muscle pains, headaches, fever, sore throat, and fatigue. As the disease advances within the body, further symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding, and rashes begin to show; these are some of the wet symptoms.

The largest outbreaks of EVD in Africa were caused by three major types: Zaire ebolavirus, Bundibugyo ebolavirus, and the Sudan ebolavirus (Fowler et al., 2014). The most fatal of the three was the Zaire ebolavirus, associated with the largest outbreak that accounted for over 28000 cases in West Africa. On the other hand, the Sudan ebolavirus is responsible for several attacks in Uganda and the South Sudan DRC border. Bundibugyo ebolavirus, only discovered in 2007is, is associated with two outbreaks.

Laboratory findings (include all blood test names, genetic test, urine test, i.e.) must consist of all normal vs. abnormal levels that will confirm the disease.

It is not easy to diagnose Ebola shortly after infection. The early symptoms of EVD like fever and headaches are common symptoms for other diseases like malaria and typhoid. Only a combination of certain symptoms can suggest the possibility of a person being exposed to EVD. Suspecting that one has been exposed calls for immediate isolation, and blood tests run after notifying the public health authorities. However, the virus may take up to three days of being infected before being detected in a person. The most common diagnostic method employed is polymerase chain reaction (PCR) because it can see the virus even at low levels. PCR methods seize to be effective when the virus present in the patient’s blood is not enough.

References

Baseler, L., Chertow, D. S., Johnson, K. M., Feldmann, H., & Morens, D. M. (2017). The pathogenesis of Ebola virus disease. Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease, 12, 387-418.

Fowler, R. A., Fletcher, T., Fischer, W. A., Lamontagne, F., Jacob, S., Brett-Major, D., … & Bausch, D. (2014). Caring for critically ill patients with Ebola virus disease. Perspectives from West Africa. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 190(7), 733-737.