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Tag: ebola virus

  • Ebola In Boston? Nope, Just A Scare

    Now that the Ebola virus has made its way to the United States, everyone is on edge and worried that it will spread throughout our country as fast as it has spread in West Africa.

    Over 4,000 people have died from Ebola in West Africa this year, and earlier this month Thomas Eric Duncan, who was traveling from Liberia to Texas, brought the virus with him.

    Duncan was treated for the virus but unfortunately died. A nurse who was caring for him at the hospital is now sick with the virus and several other people who were in close contact with him are being quarantined and tested for the virus as well.

    Many people are afraid that a person sick with Ebola will get on a plane and bring the virus to another part of the United States.

    On Monday, a plane traveling from Dubai to Boston was met at Boston’s Logan International Airport by medical crews in full hazmat suits.

    Five of the passengers were showing flu-like symptoms, which are also the early symptoms of Ebola.

    Although the flight did not come from West Africa the five passengers were evacuated from the plane and tested for Ebola.

    Luckily, none of the sick passengers tested positive for the virus and airport officials are calling the incident a simple scare. Another plane flying from New York to Los Angles had to land at a remote gate when a passenger fell ill during the flight.

    According to Yahoo News, the passenger was also tested for Ebola but did not have the virus.

    Airlines are trying to take all of the necessary precautions to make sure that nobody infected with Ebola is flying into the country or infecting other passengers.

    The CDC said that new precautions may need to be considered and that there will likely be other Ebola scares in the near future, or until Ebola is no longer a threat to the country.

  • Ebola Symptoms: What You Should Watch For

    Ebola Symptoms: What You Should Watch For

    Ebola is a terrifying virus and now that it has found its way to the United States, many people are scared they will contract it.

    While your chances of catching Ebola are still pretty slim, there are some symptoms you can watch for.

    Some of these symptoms mimic those of other diseases and illnesses, so if you are experiencing any of them or think you may have Ebola or another illness, you should see your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

    The most common symptoms of Ebola include, fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and unexplained bleeding or bruising.

    These symptoms can appear anywhere from two to 21 days from the time that a person is exposed to Ebola.

    While Ebola is a severe illness and a contagious one, it can only be contracted by coming in contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person.

    Ebola does have a high death rate, but people who are diagnosed and cared for in a proper facility are much more likely to survive than infected people who do not seek medical care or wait to see a doctor.

    While the only known cure or treatment for Ebola is still being tested and only available in very small amounts, hospitals can treat the symptoms of Ebola and make the patient more comfortable. They can also watch for dehydration and excessive blood loss, two of the most deadly aspects of the illness.

    Hospitals are also capable of quarantining people who are infected with Ebola to make sure that they do not infect other patients or hospital staff members.

    People who recover from Ebola usually develop antibodies that protect them from catching the virus again for at least 10 years.

  • Ebola Virus Expert Answers Questions on Reddit

    Ebola Virus Expert Answers Questions on Reddit

    Richard Preston is the author of the non-fiction book “The Hot Zone”, which discusses the origins of several deadly viral diseases in Africa. He is an expert on viruses such as Ebola. His book offered a vision of these viruses that was so terrifying that Stephen King once said the first chapter of the book was “one of the most horrifying things I’ve read in my whole life.” That’s high praise from the man who wrote “The Stand”.

    Preston took to the Interwebs and launched a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) discussion about the current Ebola crisis in Africa. As usual, the questions from the denizens of Reddit ranged from insightful and probing to absurd. But Preston held on and helped folks learn a thing or two.

    One of the top questions from the discussion was about how doctors and nurses protect themselves while helping virus-stricken areas.

    “They haven’t been able to fully protect themselves, Preston replied. “Doctors and nurses are dying. They’re wearing full protection biohazard suits, but the Ebola wards are just horrifying, 30 Ebola patients with one doctor and one nurse, both in space suits. Conditions are awful in those wards, we need more doctors and nurses – not even a space suit can totally protect you if the ward is really a mess.”

    Another reader asked about an experimental serum that is being tried. Preston is hopeful that it will work. He said, “The antibody serum ZMAPP seems to be amazingly effective but we don’t know because it’s only been tried on the two patients.”

    His comments about the future quality of life for people who manage to survive Ebola was encouraging.

    “I interviewed Dr. Shem Musoke who nearly died of Marburg (close cousin of Ebola),” Preston explained. “And he told me it took him about a year to recover fully but now he was fine. It’s a crushing disease but if you survive you do recover.”

    Finally, Preston assured everyone that there is no need to panic about the Ebola situation in Africa.

    “This is a kind of war with a non-human enemy. It is a fairly clever and very aggressive enemy. However, if you are in a jam it is never a good idea to panic. That’s how you lose. The doctors in Africa definitely are not panicking, they are just working 20 hours a day in the fight. And we sure don’t have to panic in the US, we’ve got a strong medical care system.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ebola Outbreak Is Still Spreading

    Ebola Outbreak Is Still Spreading

    The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has been getting worse over the last few months and now it is affecting the healthcare workers who are trying to stop the spread of the deadly disease. Over 50 healthcare workers have already died of Ebola and many more have been infected and are being treated for it.

    An American doctor and a missionary are among the latest people to be infected by the virus. Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian charity, said that its physician Kent Brantly was in stable condition and had been isolated at the group’s Ebola treatment center at the ELWA hospital in the Liberian capital Monrovia.

    Nancy Writebol, a missionary with the SIM Christian charity, is also stable but suffering from the horrible symptoms of the disease.

    “They’re both receiving intensive early treatment, but certainly it’s a dangerous situation and a frightening situation,” charity spokeswoman Melissa Strickland said.

    “We remain optimistic for his recovery, but certainly he is not out of the woods. Samaritan’s Purse is committed to doing everything possible to help Dr Brantly during this time of crisis. We ask everyone to please pray for him and his family,” she added.

    Healthcare workers have been working hard to treat the sick and to quarantine them to prevent the spread of the virus. The virus has spread to other parts of Africa and many people are afraid that it could spread to other parts of the world.

    Over 200 people in Africa have been killed by the disease since the beginning of the year and the death toll rises every day.

    There is no cure for Ebola and healthcare workers can only treat the symptoms of the disease. Fever, body and muscle aches, bleeding and dehydration are some of the most common symptoms.

    Healthcare workers are calling the outbreak one of the worst they have ever seen.

    Do you think the virus can be controlled or will it spread to other countries?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ebola Outbreak May Not Be As New As Thought

    The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has already killed 600 people. The outbreak occurred this spring, but a new study shows that the virus may have been affecting people in the region for years before the outbreak.

    According to the study, there was a mysterious illness affecting people in West Africa years before the outbreak. The illness was likely the Ebola virus. Although blood samples were taken from most of the people treated for the illness, none of them were tested for Ebola.

    Researchers are now testing the blood samples to see if the patients were indeed suffering from the Ebola virus. The test samples were over seven years old, but still potentially dangerous. Researchers had to heat treat them to help make them safe before they could be tested.

    “It had been circulating there for a long time,” said Randal Schoepp of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. “It just hadn’t gotten out of control or the right conditions weren’t there.”

    Researchers admitted that the tests are not 100 percent accurate, but they also believe that the outbreak did not just come out of nowhere. Viruses like Ebola travel from one host to the next and can be carried by animals like bats, monkeys and rodents.

    “It makes us realize that you don’t have to see an outbreak (to know a virus is circulating in an area),” Schoepp said. “In Africa, it is easy for a disease to smolder because there is so much disease.”

    While Ebola is common in some parts of Africa, it has never been seen before in West Africa. There are many other viruses that are common in the region, including Lassa Fever and Malaria.

    Both of these diseases are nasty and can spread easily. Lassa Fever symptoms are very similar to Ebola symptoms, but the viruses are unrelated.

    Researchers believe that many Ebola cases were misidentified as Lassa Fever before the outbreak.

    Do you think the Ebola virus was making people sick in West Africa long before the 2014 outbreak?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ebola Virus Is Out Of Control In Africa

    The Ebola virus is continuing to spread across Africa and has now killed over 300 people. The disease turned up towards the beginning of the year and has now spread to three counties within West Africa.

    The Ebola virus has no cure and treatments are limited. The virus is spread by body fluids and symptoms of the virus include fever, fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, vomiting and diarrhea. The virus can be spread by simply touching an infected person and attempts to quarantine the infected have failed.

    Numerous medics have been sent to the region to help treat the ill and prevent the spread of the illness, but in spite of the government’s attempts, the disease is still spreading quickly.

    “We have reached our limits,” Janssens said. “We are no longer able to send teams to the new outbreak sites.”

    “Despite the human resources and equipment deployed by MSF in the three affected countries, we are no longer able to send teams to the new outbreak sites.”

    The virus is scaring many people from participating in their usual activities and many have chosen to stay in their homes as much as possible. Social gatherings and public events have been canceled to avoid spreading the disease and causing more people to become infected.

    While the virus is concentrated in a fairly small area, it has the potential to spread around the world. One infected person that boards a ship or plane could bring the virus overseas to the United States or another country.

    Doctors are continuously looking for new treatment options and are hoping to develop a cure for the disease within the next few years.

    World Health Organization officials say they’re planning a high-level meeting for the Minister of Health in the subregion July 2 and 3 to discuss the deployment of additional resources and experts to the area.

    The outbreak will be considered contained after 42 days with no new Ebola cases. That’s twice the incubation period.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ebola Outbreak Kills 5 People In Sierra Leone

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a new Ebola Virus outbreak is responsible for the deaths of at least 5 people in Sierra Leone.

    “Preliminary information received from the field indicates that one laboratory-confirmed case and five community deaths have been reported from Koindu chiefdom,” the WHO’s website said, which also explained that the five cases were located along the border of Guinea.

    Since March, the Ebola virus has been viciously attacking the neighboring West African countries Guinea and Liberia, and has led to the deaths of nearly 200 people.

    The Ebola Virus is incredibly dangerous and is one of the deadliest viruses known to man, with a mortality rate of nearly 90 percent. The virus attacks people quickly, with an incubation period of 2-21 days, and causes extreme symptoms. Among those symptoms are severe fever, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting and diarrhea. The virus can also lead to organ failure and intense internal bleeding.

    There is currently no cure or vaccine for the virus, which adds to its lethalness. It is spread through direct contact with those who are infected, and/or exposure to wild animals that can harbor the virus such as bats and monkeys.

    The virus is also known to be spread at burials, when people touch the dead bodies of those infected. Poor precautions by doctors and nurses can also contribute to the spread of the disease. To contain the virus, doctors and nurses are urged to isolate patients, wear masks, gloves, and goggles, and bury the dead quickly. One of those who died in Sierra Leone was said to be a health care worker.

    The first case of Ebola was confirmed 38-years-ago in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, the virus has taken the lives of approximately 1,400 people.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ebola Death Toll Still Rising In Africa

    The Ebola outbreak that started in Guinea has spread to neighboring villages and claimed at least 142 lives. The outbreak started in March and began spreading across West Africa. Healthcare workers tried to contain the virus to prevent it from spreading but were not successful. They quarantined patients and advised anyone experiencing symptoms to be checked for the virus.

    By late March, the virus had spread to nearby Liberia. Guinea’s health authorities have reported a total of 208 clinical cases, including 136 deaths. The disease is still spreading through Liberia, but Liberia’s health authorities have already reported 34 clinical cases and at least six deaths.

    The symptoms of Ebola include headache, fever, nausea, chills diarrhea and eventually, internal bleeding and bleeding from the mucous membranes. There is no known cure for the virus and very few treatment options. New treatment options are currently being created and tested in labs across the world, but no vaccine has yet been created and there are no medications available to kill the virus.

    Treatment consists of keeping the patients comfortable and helping to relieve severe symptoms. Healthcare workers try to prevent dehydration by offering clean drinking water to the infected and using IVs to deliver liquid to the body. Pain killers are also offered to patients who complain of headaches, abdominal pain and other aches and pains.

    Healthcare workers in both Guinea and Liberia are focused on quarantining the infected so they can stop the disease from spreading but the World Healthcare Organization fears that the disease may have already started to spread to other locations. They have also said that this Ebola outbreak is the worst they have seen in seven years and they fear it will not be over anytime soon.

    “Since the incubation period for Ebola can be as long as three weeks, it is likely that the Guinean health authorities will report new cases in the coming weeks and additional suspected cases may also be identified in neighboring countries,” WHO said. “It is anticipated that most of the suspected cases currently reported by Liberia will be reclassified as discarded and removed from the case count.”

    WHO recommends not traveling to Guinea, Liberia or other nearby parts of West Africa until the outbreak is over. The virus is easily spread and if picked up by a tourist, it could be spread on an airplane or bus and new outbreaks could occur all over the world.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ebola Outbreak Continues To Spread

    Ebola Outbreak Continues To Spread

    The Ebola outbreak that hit Guinea a few weeks ago is still spreading and the CDC is calling it one of the hardest viruses to control. Ebola is a type of hemorrhagic fever and symptoms include severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, sore throat, and in severe cases, bleeding from the mucous membranes.

    The reason the Ebola outbreak is so bad and so hard to control is that healthcare workers have no vaccines or medications that can treat the virus. Although there have been many attempts to create vaccines and medications for the virus, there are currently none available. Doctors are treating those infected with the virus by keeping them comfortable and treating their symptoms. Many sufferers also require blood transfusions or plasma donations.

    “If you have a medical facility to give you blood or plasma or fluid, you’re not specifically attacking the Ebola, but you’re giving the patient a better chance of surviving,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Some people who have the best medical care still die, and there are some people with no care who survive. But you have the best chance if you have medical care.”

    There have been over 158 cases of Ebola in Guinea and 101 of these people died because of the virus. Although Guinea’s Foreign Minister Francois Fall claims that the disease is under control, Liberia recently reported 25 cases which resulted in 12 deaths. About 70% of people who contract the virus will also die from it.

    Researchers are currently working on vaccines and say that one may be in the near future. They believe that gene splicing other viruses could allow them to create a vaccine that targets a specific part of the Ebola virus and creates immunity to it. They are expecting to begin clinical trials within three years.

    Do you think there will ever be a vaccine or cure for Ebola?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ebola Virus: Fears Mount as Mob Attacks Aid Workers

    Recent media coverage seems to be focusing on the missing MH370 plane, but reports coming out of Ebola-stricken Guinea are becoming very disconcerting.

    Fear, anger and uncertainty led a mob to attack international aid workers struggling to contain a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus Saturday in Guinea.

    Doctors without Borders — which goes by its French initials MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) — suspended treatment in the southeastern town of Macenta Friday after crowds attacked one of its centers.

    Sam Taylor, a spokesman for MSF, said no one was seriously injured when rocks were thrown at workers.

    “We understand very well that people are afraid because it is a new disease here,” Taylor said. “But these are not favorable working conditions so we are suspending our activities.”

    Conakry officials said the attack occurred following rumors that the virus was “imported into Guinea or that Ebola fever does not exist in our country.”

    According to reports, 137 suspected or confirmed Ebola cases have been recorded since the beginning of the year leading to 86 deaths so far.

    MSF said the outbreak is an “unprecedented epidemic” and warns that it is struggling to contain the hemorrhagic fever.

    In a statement Saturday, Guinea officials said lawbreakers would be punished and called “for calm and serenity to enable our partners to support us to eradicate this epidemic.”

    “The government has protested against such information and reiterates that only the recognition of the existence of the disease will help in the fight against it,” it said.

    “The contribution of (MSF) and all international organisations that are supporting Guinea in the fight against the pandemic is invaluable and has helped so far to contain the disease,” the government said. “Without these partners, the disease would not be under control today.”

    Several other west African countries have geared up to tackle the epidemic including Mali, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

    The Ebola virus — transmitted to humans from wild animals, and between humans through direct contact with another’s blood, faeces or sweat — leads to hemorrhagic fever, which causes muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.

    Image via YouTube

  • Ebola Outbreak Spreads To Liberia And Sierra Leone

    The outbreak that had medical officials scrambling in an effort to contain the Ebola virus which struck Guinea last week, is suspected to be spreading to outlaying areas.

    There are no known treatments or vaccines for the Ebola (hemorrhagic fever,) virus which kills up to 90 percent of those who become infected. Once humans are infected with Ebola, they become highly contagious and pass the virus on to others who come in close contact with them either by exposure to contaminated objects that carry bodily fluids or blood of the infected persons, or the infected persons themselves.

    Considered the biggest Ebola outbreak in seven years, which has claimed nearly 60 lives, and sickened hundreds, might have spread to Liberia and threatens Sierra Leone.

    Five people are suspected to have died from the disease in Lofa county in northern Liberia, Bernice Dahn, Liberia’s chief medical officer, said at a briefing today.

    “The forest region where Unicef delivered the emergency assistance on Saturday is located along the border with Sierra Leone and Liberia with many people doing business and moving between the three countries,” said Laurent Duvillier, a Unicef spokesman, in an e-mail today. “Risk of international spread should be taken seriously.”

    Unicef plans to dispatch 5 metric tons of aid, including medical supplies, to the worst-affected areas. Suspected cases of the lethal hemorrhagic disease were being investigated in Guinea’s southeast border areas, the World Health Organization said yesterday.

    “The three cases, which were registered in Conakry, have no link with Ebola,” Government spokesman Damantang Albert Camara said. “The analyses were made abroad. The outbreak of the disease may be heavier than 59 but the health ministry will release a statement on the disease soon.”

    The World Health Organization (WHO) is closely monitoring the situation and said that similar cases demonstrating symptoms have also been reported in nearby area of Sierra Leone.

    Dr. Brima Kargbo, the chief medical officer in Sierra Leone is currently investigating the case of a 14-year-old boy who died in the town of Buedu after returning from Guinea. In addition, Kargbo has dispatched a medical team to the town of Buedu to test anyone who came in contact with the 14-year-old boy prior to his death from Ebola viral hemorrhagic fever.

    Image via YouTube

  • Ebola Virus: UN Warns the Deadly Virus May Spread

    The United Nations said Monday the Ebola outbreak in Guinea could spread from Guinea to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

    At least 80 cases and 59 deaths have been recorded across the West African country, the largest outbreak of “hemorrhagic fever” in Africa in seven years.

    Conakry, the capital of Guinea, has not been affected, said government spokesman Albert Damantang Camara said today, debunking Unicef’s claim that the outbreak had spread there.

    “The forest region where Unicef delivered the emergency assistance on Saturday is located along the border with Sierra Leone and Liberia with many people doing business and moving between the three countries,” said Unicef spokesman Laurent Duvillier. “Risk of international spread should be taken seriously.”

    “The three cases, which were registered in Conakry have no link with Ebola,” Camara said. “The analyses were made abroad. The outbreak of the disease may be heavier than 59 but the Health Ministry will release a statement on the disease soon.

    At least eight health-care workers have died following exposure to the deadly virus, which has no known cure.

    ‘‘This outbreak is particularly devastating because medical staff are among the first victims,” New York-based Unicef said. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for Ebola.

    Supplies delivered over the weekend are being distributed to health-care workers, said Unicef spokesman Timothy La Rose said supplies deliver over the weekend are being delivered.

    “We are focusing on prevention,” La Rose said. “We are alerting the public on how to avoid contracting Ebola. Since there is no treatment, this is the best way to stop the spread.”

    According to the World Health Organization, the deadly Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 in the Congo and Sudan and is transmitted through contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected person or wild animal.

    Image via YouTube

  • Ebola Outbreak In Guinea: Death Toll Rising

    An Ebola outbreak in Guinea has led to the deaths of 59 people and is continuing to spread throughout Africa. The outbreak is so bad that Doctors Without Border has already flown in doctors and medial supplies to help treat the sick and contain the virus. Quarentine areas have been created where those infected with the virus can be treated without the risk of infecting others and spreading the dangerous and deadly disease.

    Ebola is a form of hemoragic fever. Symptoms of the virus appear flu-like at first, but quickly worsen to include severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. Headache, sore throat and rashes are also common. If left untreated, those infected with an Ebola virus can fall into a coma and die.

    One of the most notable and horrific symptoms of the disease is the bleeding from mucuous membranes. Bleeding occurs in about 50% of Ebola cases and is one of the ways that the virus is spread from person to person. Prognosis is poor but survival is possible. Patients who do survive can either recover quickly or face many complications along the path to recovery.

    There have been many attempts to create vaccinations for Ebola, but none of them have been approved. Scientists are continuing to work on possible vaccines and one may be approved in the near future. Until then, Ebola is treated by preventing dehydration, managing pain and administering anticoagulants to prevent severe bleeding.

    In Guinea, 59 of the 80 people infected during the outbreak have died, three of which were young children. The arrival of supplies and doctors may mean a higher survival rate for those infected. The ability to quarentine the infected patients will have the greatest effect as it will help control the outbreak and prevent the virus from spreading.

    “These structures are essential to prevent the spread of the disease, which is highly contagious,” explained Dr. Esther Sterkof of Doctors Without Borders, adding, “Specialized staff are providing care to patients showing signs of infection.”

    Currently, the outbreak is only occuring in the forest area of southern Guinea. Health officials are providing free treatment for the infected and are urging people within the area to stay calm, wash their hands often and report any symptoms to health officials or the authorities.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons