Concerned About the Ebola Outbreak? What You Need to Know About the Ebola Virus & How to Prevent It - Infographic

A researcher working with the Ebola virus while wearing a BSL-4 positive pressure suit to avoid infection Biosafety level 4 hazmat suit: researcher is working with the Ebola virus. Photo source:

EBOLA EPIDEMIC!

You’ve seen the headlines, devoured the news stories and watched hours of deeply disturbing

television news coverage!

In March 2014, an outbreak of the Ebola virus occurred in the Western African nation of Guinea.

This was the first Ebola virus outbreak registered in that region.

As of 10 April, 157 suspected and confirmed cases and 101 deaths had been reported in Guinea,

22 suspected cases in Liberia including 14 deaths, 8 suspected cases in Sierra Leone including

6 deaths, and 1 suspected case in Mali.

Everywhere you turn more alarming casualties are revealed.

“This outbreak is the most severe in

recorded history with regards to

both the number of human cases

and fatalities.”

And the numbers are mounting!

By late June 2014, the death toll had reached 390 with over 600 cases reported.

By 23 July 2014, the World Health Organization had reported 1201 confirmed cases including

672 deaths since the epidemic began in March.

On 31 July 2014, WHO reported that the death toll had reached 826 from 1440 cases.

Between 5 and 6 August 2014, a total of 68 new cases of Ebola virus disease (laboratory-

confirmed, probable, and suspect cases) as well as 29 deaths were reported from Guinea, Liberia,

Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

EBOLA UPDATE:

According to Reuters, as of Sept. 18, 2014:

“At least 2,630 people have died in the worst outbreak

of Ebola virus in history, which has so far

infected at least 5,357 people in West Africa,

the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

In an update on the epidemic, which is raging through

Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and has spread

into Nigeria and Senegal, the WHO said

there were no signs yet of it slowing.”

Worst of all, there is no specific treatment for this disease.

With such disturbing consequences, of course we are wondering what the Ebola Virus is

and what we can do to avoid contracting this virus.

Let’s look at the facts.

About Ebola Virus Disease

Concerned About the Ebola Outbreak? What You Need to Know About the Ebola Virus & How to Prevent It - Infographic

Ebola virus virion: Created by CDC microbiologist Cynthia Goldsmith, this colorized transmission electron micrograph (TEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural
morphology displayed by an Ebola virus virion. Image source:

Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused

by the Ebola virus.

Symptoms typically start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever,

sore throat, muscle pains, and headaches.

Generally nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea follow, along with decreased functioning of the

liver and kidneys.

At this point, some people begin to have bleeding problems.

The virus may be acquired upon contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal

(commonly monkeys or fruit bats).

Fruit bats are believed to carry and spread the virus without being affected.

Once human infection occurs, the disease may spread between people as well.

Male survivors may be able to transmit the disease via semen for nearly two months.

Prevention

Concerned About the Ebola Outbreak? What You Need to Know About the Ebola Virus & How to Prevent It - Infographic

Bushmeat being prepared for cooking in Ghana, 2013. Human consumption of equatorial animals in Africa in the form of bushmeat has been linked to the transmission of diseases to people, including Ebola. Photo source:

Prevention includes decreasing the spread of disease from infected monkeys and pigs to humans.

This may be done by checking such animals for infection and killing and properly disposing

of the bodies if the disease is discovered.

Properly cooking meat and wearing protective clothing when handling meat may also be helpful,

as are wearing protective clothing and washing hands when around a person with the disease.

Samples of bodily fluids and tissues from people with the disease should be handled

with special caution.

Treatment

At this time, no ebola virus-specific treatment exists.

Treatment is primarily supportive in nature and includes:

-providing fluids, using oral rehydration therapy (slightly sweet and salty water to drink) or

intravenous fluids.

-administration of anticoagulants and procoagulants, maintaining oxygen levels, pain management,

and the use of medications to treat bacterial or fungal secondary infections.

Fortunately, a number of experimental new treatments are being explored.

Early treatment may increase the chance of survival.

Unfortunately, Ebola has high mortality rate: often killing between 50% and 90% of those infected

with the virus.

Learn More

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

The illustrated infographic below brings many of the facts to life and helps to clarify methods of

transmission and symptoms.

Ebola

by Raj Kamal from Visual.ly
Are you concerned about the Ebola outbreak?
Are you aware of any natural remedies or treatments for this virus?
Do you have any different or additional information on this topic?
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