History


In 1976, Ebola (named after the Ebola River in Zaire) first emerged in Sudan and Zaire.
The first outbreak of Ebola (Ebola-Sudan) infected over 284 people, with a mortality
rate of 53%. A few months later, the second Ebola virus emerged from Yambuku, Zaire,
Ebola-Zaire (EBOZ). EBOZ, with the highest mortality rate of any of the Ebola viruses
(88%), infected 318 people. Despite the tremendous effort of experienced and dedicated
researchers, Ebola's natural reservoir was never identified. The third strain of Ebola,
Ebola Reston (EBOR), was first identified in 1989 when infected monkeys were
imported into Reston, Virginia, from Mindanao in the Philippines. Fortunately, the few
people who were infected with EBOR (seroconverted) never developed Ebola
hemorrhagic fever (EHF). The last known strain of Ebola, Ebola Cote d'Ivoire (EBO-CI)
was discovered in 1994 when a female ethologist performing a necropsy on a dead
chimpanzee from the Tai Forest, Cote d'Ivoire, accidentally infected herself during the
necropsy.


Transmission

We still don't know how primates contract filoviruses in nature. The secondary cases of
filovirus infection have been the result of contact with contaminated blood, organs,
semen or other bodily secretions. Marburg, a filovirus closely related to Ebola, can be
transmitted via semen up to 12 weeks after clinical recovery (1 ). Ebola can also be
transmitted through the handling of ill or dead chimpanzees. Amongst humans, Ebola is
transmitted by contact with infected bodily fluids and/or tissues (2, 3 ). There is
evidence of a possible respiratory route of transmission of Ebola in nonhuman
primates (3 ). Even if Ebola is transmitted via the respiratory route to nonhuman
primates, humans may be resistant to the airborne/aerosol transmission of Ebola (may
not have the right receptors).


Symptoms
Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), caused by Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan and Ebola Cote
d'Ivoire, "is often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain,
headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, limited kidney
and liver functions, and both internal and external bleeding" (WHO Fact Sheet) . Blood
begins to leak from every opening in the infected primate's body during the last stages
of Ebola hemorrhagic fever.


Prevention

Ebola is stable and remains infective at room temperature (20°C), but it is mostly
destroyed at 60°C. Its infectivity is also terminated by gamma and ultraviolet radiation,
lipid solvents (dissolves the outer lipid membrane), ß-propiolactone, and commercial
hypochlorite (bleach) and phenolic disinfectants.


Wishing Nigerians and the World success in the fight against this deadly disease,

Cheers

prevention

beta

skin rash

Yea it is a deadly disease I pray 4 success in d search 4 d cure

Yepa