Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever - Article Example

Ebola Ebola, also called Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever (AHF) is a viral disease whose origin is said to be in a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo formally known as Zaire. The exact place of discovery was a place near River Ebola, a factor that explains the name it bears today. In the recent past the disease has had a widespread effect in West African region, with some few cases being reported in East Africa and the United States of America. Termed deadly, this disease causes severe bleeding, organ failure and in most cases eventually lead to death of the infected persons. Last year realized a recurrence of the disease in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea where the World Health Organization was able to document that at least twenty four thousand cases of infections with ten thousand deaths reported. This was the worst outbreak ever observed since its genesis in 1976. Ebola virus has been established to spread in two ways: first, from wild animals to human beings and from infected humans to other human beings. For the case of human to human transmission, the infection is passed following a direct contact with infected person’s blood, and other body fluids like urine, saliva and semen. However there must be the presence of broken skin or mucous membrane that allows the passage of the virus for an infection to occur (Scully, C. et al, and Pg 217). The disease has been found to spread easily as one handles the clothing and/or the beddings of an Ebola victim known to be soiled with the body fluids. This virus, just like HIV can also be spread from one infected sexual partner to another during intercourse. Ebola for some strange reasons exudes symptoms like those of other common diseases like malaria, a factor that makes it to diagnose. Such is the case that its detection requires thorough medical screening and testing. It is on the ground of these similarities that it easily spreads before any serious medical approach is taken. In most cases the affected persons have been reported to seek medical attention when it is already late. Studies made on this disease have it that ninety percent of those that get infected succumb to the disease and only ten percent make it through. As highlighted previously, the major symptoms include: fever, headache, sore throat, joint and muscle aches, vomiting, rash, diarrhea, intense muscle aching and internal or external bleeding. The bleeding is mostly caused by the destruction and damage of the interior surface of blood vessels and coagulation (clotting of blood).When the vessels are affected it becomes hard for the platelets to coagulate. Care givers who attend to Ebola patients at home, in the hospitals and laboratories have been found to be the most vulnerable group. This group includes the family members, doctors, nurses, and technicians who work in the laboratories. This people mostly find themselves in direct contact with the infected patients and thus are at a high risk of getting this highly contagious disease (Anderson, pg7). Owing to its contagious nature, infected patients are usually isolated to lessen the rate of transmission. Additionally, animals such as monkeys, chimpanzees and some particular species of bats have been found to depict similar risk. Scientists across the world are busy trying to formulate a possible drug to cure Ebola. As it stands today, there is still no known cure; however, doctors handling Ebola patients are greatly involved in providing early supportive care including rehydration and symptomatic treatment known to boost chances of survival (Chowell, & Cécile, pg 139-141) . By administering rehydration doctors seek to strengthen the working of the affected organs and thus replace the lost fluid. Symptomatic care is given to address the symptoms with known treatment. Ebola patients are usually placed in their own isolated wards for special treatment and as a protective measure for those around them. Each case is specially treated since the disease present itself in different forms depending on the area and also on the fact that pathogens show a tendency to always mutate (Lau, pg 642). Now that Ebola cure is yet to be established, measures have been taken across the globe which can be classified into three: first, reducing the risk of animal to human transmission; second, reducing the risk of human to human transmission and lastly, outbreak containment measure. On the reduction of infection from animals to humans, it is advised that persons undertake proper burial of carcasses of animals suspected or even proved as being infected by Ebola. This requires that deep pit be dug for burial and people handling the animal remains use protective clothing like gloves and gumboots. By doing this, the contact between the affected animal’s body fluid and the body fluids of the person handling it is greatly minimized (Funk, & Peter). West Africa has been so synonymous with the culture of eating bush meat, a factor that makes the region more open to Ebola infections. To curb such infections, people are encouraged to only eat inspected meat and also ensure their food is well cooked. When it comes to reducing the risk of human to human infection proper hygiene like washing of hand after handling animals should be observed as well as wearing of protective clothing like gloves, gumboots, medical jackets and masks when handling the infected persons. The last approach which is containing the outbreaks involves encouraging the public to embrace modern methods of burying and shun traditional methods like washing of the intestines so as to minimize contact with body fluids and organs. Observation of hygiene within and around homes and hospitals to reduce the drops of body fluids that are infected is very important. Lastly there is need to maintain an ongoing health monitoring habit, especially in areas prone to the virus. This is done by checking the people coming in and out of an affected area, following up their health standard and conditions (Callaway, pg 265-266). Ebola is only contagious when one begins to show symptoms of the disease and it takes a period of between two to twenty one days to incubate before it becomes symptomatic. Therefore, community engagement is crucial to successfully controlling outbreaks: outbreaks are the recurrence of the disease. Successful control of Ebola relies on applying a package of interventions that include, case management, which involves tending to a patient singly and keenly making every effort to handle each patient differently from the others. Surveillance and contact tracing is the other package and it is all about following up people getting in and out of an infected area within a period of twenty one days so as to ascertain their health status as far as Ebola is concerned. Good laboratory services come next, and it basically involves handling the samples with utmost care to avoid spillage, damage and infection of the laboratory technician. The examination needs to be done in a highly conditioned area because the virus is highly infectious. Lastly, we have Social mobilization which focuses on getting the masses to know as much information on Ebola. Here, the public is made aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease, how it is spread, treatment and prevention. Knowledge is power and when the public is well informed, curbing the menace becomes easy for the authorities. In the recent days there has been rising fear of a possible use of the Ebola virus as a biological warfare weapon by terrorists. This comes even as existing information points to a possibility those members of Japanese cult used Ebola in the past as a terror weapon. Their leader led about forty members to Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) under the guise of offering medical aid to Ebola victims in a presumed attempt to acquire a virus sample. Given the lethal nature of Ebola, and since no approved vaccine or treatment is available, it is classified as a biosafety level 4 agent, as well as a Category A bioterrorism agent by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (McCormick, pg1893-1894) . It has the potential to be used in biological warfare. However, its Effectiveness as a biological weapon is compromised by its rapid lethality as patients quickly die off before they are capable of effectively spreading the contagion. It is on this account that nations of the world are called to work as a united force, particularly on issues of bioterrorism now that terrorism is a global disaster. Not only do people need to be protected but the world animals susceptible to this virus because animals also make part of the universe and can be effectively used to spread this virus. In cases of an outbreak Governments and concerned personnel’s are required to quickly respond by stepping up quarantine in the affected area. Lack of roads and transportation has been found to significantly help contain the outbreak, bearing in mind that most large-scale epidemics occur majorly in poor, isolated areas. Sadly, most of these areas lack modern hospitals and well-trained medical practitioners. Under such cases, all that is required of the medics is to immediately cease all needle-sharing or use without adequate sterilization procedures, isolate patients, and observe strict nursing procedures. Additionally, the medics are required to use medical rated disposable face mask, gloves, goggles, and a gown at all times while attending to victims of the disease. This should be strictly enforced for all medical personnel and visitors (Stimola, pg 661). In conclusion, Ebola present one of the dangerous diseases of our times. Such is the case that its successful containment requires collective participation of the affected persons to avoid its spread ad consequent death. In the most recent times unlike in the past when the disease was diagnosed, nations have been seen to work more cooperatively in lending medical and financial help. For instance, the doctors with no boundaries group was seen to offer medical help to West African states. Also, numerous countries across the globe sent their medical teams as a sign of world unity not to mention the many voluntary groups that stepped in to offered help at local levels to victims and families. Doctors have in the past underscored the need to offer psychosocial support to both the infected and affected to avoid stigmatization and victimization of people recovering from the effects of Ebola (Michie, pg 991-995). Work cited Anderson, Rodney P. Outbreak. Washington, D.C.: ASM Press, 2006. Print. Callaway, Ewen. "Ebola Outbreak Tests Local Surveillance." Nature: 265-266. Print. Chowell, Gerardo, and Cécile Viboud. "Controlling Ebola: Key Role of Ebola Treatment Centres." The Lancet Infectious Diseases: 139-141. Print. Funk, Sebastian, and Peter Piot. Mapping Ebola In Wild Animals For Better Disease Control. eLife 3 (2014): n. pag. Web. Scully, C. et al. Infection Control: Ebola Aware; Ebola Beware; Ebola Healthcare. Br Dent J 217. Stimola, Aubrey. Ebola. New York: Rosen Pub., 2011. Print.12 (2014): 661-661. Web. Lau, Esther. Pathogen Genetics: Origin And Transmission Of Ebola Virus Outbreak. Nat Rev Genet 15.10 (2014): 642-642. Web. McCormick, Joseph B. "Ebola Virus Ecology." The Journal of Infectious Diseases: 1893-894. Print. Michie, Colin. Lessons From The Survivors Of Ebola Infection. Molecular Medicine Today 5.7 (1999): 285. Web. Pandey, A. et al. Strategies For Containing Ebola In West Africa. Science 346.6212 (2014): 991-995. Web. Read More