Ebola is a viral, serious and fatal disease in general, first identified in Central Africa, with symptoms occurring 2 to 21 days after coming into contact with the virus and causing the onset of a hemorrhagic disease, including symptoms that are not currently treated. time can be life-threatening.
The disease is transmitted by infected animals and by direct contact with Ebola-infected humans because they can transmit the virus through blood and other bodily secretions.
- Ebola has no cure.
- So it is important to prevent human-to-human transmission of the virus by isolating patients and using special protective equipment.
The first signs and symptoms of Ebola virus may appear between 2 and 21 days after infection and even:
After 1 week, the disease may get worse and cause new symptoms such as:
In addition, there may also be brain damage and the individual may fall into a cause of death.
Ebola transmission occurs through direct contact with blood, saliva, tears, sweat or semen from infected animals and patients, even after death.
It can also occur when the patient reverses the cough without protecting the nose or mouth, unlike the flu, it is necessary to be very close and in close contact with the patient to contract the disease.
Generally, people who have been in contact with Ebola patients should be monitored for three weeks, using their body temperature twice a day, and if they exceed 38. 3 degrees Celsius, they should be hospitalized to start treatment.
There are 5 types of Ebola, named according to the region where it originates, and any type of Ebola has a high mortality rate and produces the same symptoms in patients.
Learn about the 5 types of Ebola
However, when a person becomes infected with one type of Ebola virus and survives, creating antibodies against ebola, he is not immune to the other four types that could contract Ebola again.
The diagnosis of Ebola is made by laboratory tests, the presence of IgM antibodies may appear 2 days after the onset of symptoms and disappear between 30 and 168 days after infection.
The disease is confirmed by laboratory-specific tests, such as PCR (polymer chain reaction), which is performed by 2 doses of blood, the second test performed 48 hours after the first.
The treatment of the Ebola virus, consists of keeping the patient hydrated and fed, there is no specific treatment capable of curing Ebola, infected patients remain isolated in a hospital to maintain hydration and control infections that may occur, reduce vomiting and prevent transmission of the disease to others.
Researchers are studying how to create a drug that can neutralize Ebola virus and a vaccine for prevention, but despite scientific advances, it has not yet been approved for human use.
Ebola prevention measures include
Since Ebola infection can take up to 21 days to discover, during an Ebola outbreak it is recommended to avoid traveling to affected areas as well as to areas bordering these countries. Another measure that may be useful is to avoid public places with high concentrations of people, because it is always known who might be infected because they are easily transmitted by the virus.
What is recommended in case of Ebola infection, staying away from people and going to a treatment center as soon as possible, since from the beginning of treatment the main thing is the possibility of recovery, care in case of vomiting and diarrhea.
The first cases of Ebola-registered women appeared in Central Africa in 1976, when humans became infected by contact with infected monsters.
Although the origin of Ebola is not known for certain, keep in mind that the virus is present in some species of bats, which do not develop the disease but can transmit it, animals such as wild boars may eat fruits contaminated with saliva bat and therefore infect humans by eating contaminated wild foods.