Ebola Fact Sheet

EBOLA

1. Table of Contents

1. Table of Contents
2. Introduction
3. Ebola History
4. Symptoms and How It Is Spread
5. Where Has it Occurred ?
6. Treatment and Prevention
7. Recent Cases
8. Current Status - Vaccine Information
9. Useful Links
10. Sources

2. Introduction

Hello everyone. My name is Mike, and though I am a relatively new user to ATS at the time I write this, I have been lurking for years before deciding to finally make an account. I am currently doing my Pre-Veterinary Studies in College, and I am fascinated by Diseases. Thus, I am here, hoping to give some of my knowledge back.

I am writing this "guide" in the hopes of revamping this particular section of the ATS forums. It is a topic I enjoy and feel strongly about, therefore I hope people enjoy them. These guides will be on many topics such as a certain disease, or how to protect yourself in foreign countries, things of that nature. They won't be a daily thing, or a weekly thing, or even a yearly thing, they'll simply just be done when they're done. Now, assuming I enjoy making this guide and receive generally positive feedback, they may be churned out rather quickly.

Throughout these guides, i'll be using my own general knowledge, as well as sources I can find regarding the subject. I will do my best to cite these sources at the end of the guide.

Anyways, that is just a small introduction as to why I'm even here and writing this.

If you have any suggestions for future topics, feel free to shoot me a message, and i'll do my best.

3. Ebola History

This is a picture of the Ebola Virus


Ebola first emerged in 1976, in both Sudan and Zaire. Ebola is named after the Ebola River which is located in Zaire. The first strain of Ebola, Ebola-Sudan, had infected 284 people with a mortality rate of 53%. The second strain appeared just months later in Zaire, called Ebola-Zaire had the highest mortality rate of any of the Ebola strains at 88%. This strain infected 318 people. Years later, another strain of Ebola, Ebola-Ivory Coast appeared in 1994. Ebola-Bundibugyo was first discovered in 2007, during the 2007-2008 outbreak in Uganda which infected 149 people, and killed 37.

In 1990, Ebola Reston was discovered to be another strain of the Ebola virus. Human infection with the Ebola Reston subtype, found in the Western Pacific, has only caused asymptomatic illness, meaning that those who contract the disease do not experience clinical illness.

The natural reservoir, or habitat of Ebola is currently unknown. Though it is widely believed it to be a zoonotic disease, in that animals carry it and is transferable to people.

4. Symptoms and How It Is Spread

The incubation rate for Ebola is usually 5-18 days. Although there have been cases in shorter and longer rates. Symptoms develop at a very fast rate, usually including fever, diarrhea, nausea and head/muscle pains in the early stages. As the disease progresses, vomiting and diarrhea, which may both be bloody as well, begins to occur. In the latter stages, subjects begin bleeding profusely out of body orifices and sites where an injection or IV may have been given.

Ebola can be spread by contact with an infected person or animal through bodily fluids. It has been observed in research settings to spread through the air in monkeys, however, in the real world, no such infection has not been documented.

5. Where Has it Occurred ?

Confirmed cases of Ebola have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Sudan, the Ivory Coast, Uganda, and the Republic of the Congo.

6. Treatment and Prevention

At the time of writing, there is no vaccine for Ebola. Therefore treatment is usually done by monitoring the fluids in the patient, as well as treating the individual symptoms as best as possible.

In order to prevent Ebola from spreading, subjects are quarantined, and dealt with in full medical suits including masks and goggles. Unfortunately, in places such as Africa where health care is poor, Ebola has a good environment in which to cause an epidemic.

7. Recent Cases

Since 2000, there have been 11 confirmed outbreaks of Ebola. All in Africa and the Philippines. The latest case at the time of writing this was in May, 2011 in Uganda. The strain was Ebola-Sudan and killed a young girl.

8. Current Status - Vaccine Information

Currently, there is no vaccine for Ebola, though one is being researched and tested on monkeys in laboratories.

Ebola is a Select Agent, World Health Organization Risk Group 4 Pathogen (requiring Biosafety Level 4-equivalent containment), National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Category A Priority Pathogen, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category A Bioterrorism Agent, and listed as a Biological Agent for Export Control by the Australia Group.

9. Useful Links

CDC Information

WHO Information

10. Sources

CDC

Stamford Article

Wikipedia Article - While Wikipedia in itself isn't the best source, the sources on the bottom of the articles are great

reply to post by MikeZutch


I think its great you are deciding to vamp up the forum, and its an interesting thread.

and thank you for the information..

will be looking forward to more of the knowledge and studies you are taking the time to share with us.

Wish you all the best in your studies !!


(sorry..i edit a lot..always second guessing how i said something.. and then i see the spelling mistakes..

reply to post by gabby2011


Oh thank you very much for all of your kind words, gabby2011 !

I enjoy sharing knowledge and through that, hopefully learning more as well.

Fascinating topic.

You forgot marburg, Ebola Reston, Ebola taj as well.

reply to post by sdcigarpig


I did not include Reston originally because it is non-pathogenic to humans, meaning it doesn't spread to us. However, I just put a note in about it.

I also added Ebola-Bundibugyo from the 2007-2008 outbreak.

Marburg is not an Ebola Virus, therefore it is not in this particular guide.

Thank you for letting me check and adding some more information though !

Originally posted by MikeZutch
reply to post by sdcigarpig

 

I did not include Reston originally because it is non-pathogenic to humans, meaning it doesn't spread to us. However, I just put a note in about it.

I also added Ebola-Bundibugyo from the 2007-2008 outbreak.

Marburg is not an Ebola Virus, therefore it is not in this particular guide.

Thank you for letting me check and adding some more information though !

Reston was contagious to humans, though not lethal. It spred from the monkeys that were in quarnentine, and those who contracted it, pretty much had flu like symptoms.

Marburg bears to be mentioned as it is the first of the Filoviruses, the same that Ebola belongs to, that first reared its head and was very lethal, having a killing a good quarter of all of those that came in contact with.

reply to post by sdcigarpig


Yes, you are correct, I fixed it. Long day today, ha.

As for Marburg, yes they are Filoviruses, however this is ONLY on Ebola, not Filoviruses as a whole.

I suggest that any of you interested in Ebola read the book Hot Zone by Richard Preston. It is a great read of pretty much what the OP covered there. The author talks in depth about the Ebola Reston case, and has interviews of the scientists involved. It's some real frightening stuff, and it's sometimes hard to believe that a virus like this exists. Thank God it hasn't become airborne in humans yet.

Originally posted by Loligag
I suggest that any of you interested in Ebola read the book Hot Zone by Richard Preston. It is a great read of pretty much what the OP covered there. The author talks in depth about the Ebola Reston case, and has interviews of the scientists involved. It's some real frightening stuff, and it's sometimes hard to believe that a virus like this exists. Thank God it hasn't become airborne in humans yet.

Yes, it is a FANTASTIC read. I'm currently reading it now for the second time, great book. Just like you, I found it hard to imagine that something like that exists.

It was also one of the most frightening pieces i've ever read, in that it's real.