EBOLA OUTBREAK (MAY GOD HELP US)

As a deadly Ebola outbreak continues in West
Africa, health officials are working to calm fears
about how the virus spreads, while encouraging
those with symptoms to get medical care. Typically,
outbreaks of the disease have been in other parts of
the continent, not in West Africa.
HOW IS EBOLA SPREAD?
By direct contact with an Ebola patient’s blood or
other bodily fluids like urine, saliva, and sweat. The
highest concentration of virus is thought to be in
blood, vomit and diarrhea.
The most vulnerable people are health care workers
and family members or others who care for the
sick. Because of the deadly nature of the disease,
health workers should wear protective gear,
especially when handling things like contaminated
syringes. Such equipment is not commonly
available in Africa, and the disease isn’t always
quickly recognized. Symptoms are similar to other
diseases like malaria and cholera.
Someone can also get infected by handling soiled
clothing or bed sheets without protection, and then
touching their nose, mouth or eyes. People can also
catch the disease by eating infected bushmeat, as
Ebola can sicken animals including bats,
chimpanzees and antelopes. Scientist think fruit
bats might be the source of the virus, but aren’t
certain.
CAN EBOLA SPREAD IN THE AIR, LIKE FLU OR
TUBERCULOSIS?
There is no evidence Ebola can be spread in the air
by sneezing or coughing. “If there was a role for
airborne transmission, we’d be seeing a lot more
cases and deaths by now,” said Ben Neuman, a
virologist at Britain’s University of Reading.
Ebola is in some ways similar to the AIDS virus
because it is spread through bodily fluids, according
to Stephen Morse, of Columbia University’s Mailman
School of Public Health. Unlike those infected with
HIV, those with the Ebola virus are considered
infectious only when they show symptoms, which
include fever, vomiting and diarrhea.
CAN THE SPREAD OF EBOLA BE STOPPED?
Yes, by isolating anyone with symptoms while
testing is done, taking precautions while providing
them medical care and tracking down anyone they
were in close contact with when they got sick.
Those who have had direct contact with an Ebola
patient are advised to take their temperature twice
a day for three weeks, the incubation period for the
disease. If they show symptoms, they should then
be isolated and tested.
Ebola first appeared nearly 40 years ago. In past
Ebola outbreaks, many cases have been linked to
people burying their loved ones, involving ritual
cleansing of the body and kissing the body. The
World Health Organization recommends that only
trained personnel handle the bodies of Ebola
victims.
“We know how to stop Ebola,” said Gregory Hartl, a
WHO spokesman. “We have stopped all previous
outbreaks in the past using old-fashioned
methods.”
“From what we’ve seen, there isn’t any reason to
think we can’t stop the outbreak in West Africa
using what we have done in the past.”