Ebola Virus Disease, previously known as Ebola Haemorrhagic Disease, is a severe and often-fatal disease in humans and non-human primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees) that has appeared sporadically since its initial recognition in 1976.
The disease is caused by an infection with the ebola virus, named after a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Africa, where it was first recognised. The exact origin, locations and natural habitat or natural reservoir remains unknown.
However, on the basis of available evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe the virus is zoonotic (animal-borne) with four of the five subtypes occurring in an animal host native to Africa.
Confirmed cases of ebola have been reported in the DRC, Gabon, Sudan, the Ivory Coast, Uganda, and Congo. No case of the disease in humans has ever been reported in the United States.
Ebola-Reston virus caused severe illness and death in monkeys imported to research facilities in the United States and Italy from the Philippines. During these outbreaks, several research workers became infected with the virus, but did not become ill.
After the first case-patient in an outbreak setting is infected, the virus can be transmitted in several ways. People can be exposed to the ebola virus from direct contact with the blood and/or secretions of an infected person.
Thus, the virus is often spread through families and friends because they come in close contact with such secretions when caring for infected persons. People can also be exposed to the ebola virus through contact with objects, such as needles that have been contaminated with infected secretions.
Nosocomial transmission refers to the spread of a disease within a health-care setting, such as a clinic or hospital. It occurs frequently during ebola outbreaks. It includes both types of transmissions described above.
In African health-care facilities, patients are often cared for without the use of a mask, gown or gloves. Exposure to the virus has occurred when healthcare workers treat individuals with ebola without wearing these types of protective clothing.
The incubation period for ebola ranges from 2 to 21 days. The onset of illness is abrupt and is characterised by fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat and weakness, followed by diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain.
There is no standard treatment for ebola, but patients in the Johannesburg area should be referred to Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital for supportive therapy, which seeks to balance the patient’s fluids and electrolytes, maintaining their oxygen status and blood pressure, and treating them for any complicating infections. (Source: National Institute for Communicable Diseases)
