The Ebola virus is part of the filovirus family, and is known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The disease can sometimes cause hemorrhage from body openings, and the incubation period is 2 to 21 days. Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms. The first few symptoms are sudden and include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat. These symptoms are then followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and impaired kidney and liver function. Laboratory tests can include low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016a). Ebola can be spread from person to person transmission by direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated objects. This mode of transmission puts people in regular contact with the infected body fluids at high risk of contracting Ebola (Cole, 2015). In particular, healthcare workers caring for infected patients are at risk for this infectious disease. The nurses, patient care technicians, and anyone working in the hospital is at risk for infection by simply doing their job. Calculating intake and output, checking vital signs, or simply assessing the patient can put these workers at risk. Healthcare workers question whether or not the new Ebola treatment protocols prevent them from becoming infected.
Maria, a newly licensed nurse employed at a local urgent care center, was working her normal 7am-7pm shift when a 31-year-old man came in complaining of fever, fatigue, and vomiting over the
In 2014, Ebola hemorrhagic fever caused an outbreak in West Africa that officially ended in 2016. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus species” (“Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease)”). Ebola is caused when a person is in contact with an infected person’s blood or other body fluids. Prevention of contracting the disease include, not touching the dead body of an infected person, not touching body fluids of an infected person, avoiding places infected people are being treated, not touching bats or nonhuman primates
First discovered in the 1970’s, the ebola virus was contained to West Africa (“About Ebola Virus Disease”). Villagers’ diets consisted primarily of the resources readily available. Among these resources were fruit, vegetables, and animals, namely monkeys. Monkeys carried the ebola virus, and when people ate them, without proper cleaning and cooking techniques, they became infected. Ebola, formally known as Zaire Ebola Virus, is transmitted through bodily fluids like saliva, blood, semen, breast milk, mucus, sweat, tears, feces and urine. ("Ebola in West Africa."). Since it was introduced to a third world country, where hygiene is not regarded as important as survival. Without education, protection and segregated sewage, the virus began to spread. In days people were dying after spreading the virus to those closest to them (Waterman). The bodies, though dead, were still harboring the virus and
Ebola is described by the author in deep detail telling the progression of which it goes through. It starts with a headache and backache and ends with all of your internal organs failing “bleeding out” like Charles Monet. There are four filoviruses: Ebola virus (EBOV), Sudan virus (SUDV), Marburg virus (MARV), and Ravn virus (RAVV). They are all Level 4 biohazard, which means they are extremely dangerous to humans especially because they are so infectious, have a high death rate, and there are no medicines, treatments, or cures.
While Ebola is not an airborne virus, it can be transmitted through direct contact with an infected person’s fluids, such as blood, urine, vomit, sweat, semen and sexual contact (Nevins, 2014). With these deadly symptoms and ease of transmission, the Ebola virus can quickly wipe out an entire community. Yet, scientists have found that the severity of the disease in humans varies widely, from rapid fatality to mild illness or even asymptomatic response, further complicating the ability to quickly identify infected patients and reduce the possibility of transmission (Kolata, 2014). Moreover, the virus has different strains and mutates according to the specific environmental conditions in which it exists (Peters et al., 1991).
The Virus in body fluids (such as blood) can survive up to several days at room temperature. Ebolaviruses can also be inactivated by heating for 30 to 60 min at 60°C, boiling for 5 min. Laboratory studies done under environmental conditions that favor the persistence of virus found that Ebola virus titers on contaminated solid surfaces decrease rapidly at room temperature but that viability can persist for several days at 4°C. Continuing scientific research is therefore essential to develop a clearer understanding of the virus and its mechanisms so that vaccines and treatment protocols can be developed alongside education programs designed to help people avoid contracting the virus and also prevent its
The filovirus family encompasses two genera: Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus; note that filoviruses are zoonotic, and have recently been traced to some species of African bats (CDC 2014). Currently, there are four species of ebolavirus that cause disease in humans: Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Tai Forest virus, and Bundibugyo virus (CDC 2015 B, 1). For the purposes of this scenario, Ebola virus will be the agent of focus and use. Symptoms of Ebola virus infection range from common illness characteristics, such as fever and fatigue, to the more detrimental characteristics of unexplained bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea, and body pains; symptoms can appear anywhere from two days to three weeks after exposure (CDC 2015 B, 1). Transmission of infection occurs through direct contact between an individual’s mucous membranes or broken skin and body fluids of an infected person (CDC 2015 A). Body fluids can include sweat, saliva, blood, semen, and urine, amongst several others. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that “Although … the viruses display some capability of infection through small-particle aerosols, airborne spread among humans has not been clearly demonstrated”
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a severe and often fatal disease that can occur in humans and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys and gorillas). The outbreaks of EVD occur predominantly in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests and where contact with animals is more likely to take place. EVD is transmitted into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals (typically nonhuman primates and fruit bats). Once a human is infected it spreads in the community through skin-to-skin contact, direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual, or contact with environments that are contaminated with such fluids. The incubation
Ebola is one of the most deadly diseases known to man. The mortality rate of Ebola ranges from 25% to 90% (World Health Organization [WHO], 2014; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2010; Cowart, 2014). There is no cure for Ebola and no vaccine to prevent its spread (WHO, 2014; CDC, 2010; Cowart, 2014). The virus itself is spreads between organisms through bodily fluids, such as blood and vomit, which are shed by an infected individual (WHO, 2014; CDC, 2010). These fluids typically carry a large viral load, or number of cells that harbor the virus (WHO, 2014; CDC, 2010). The virus is spread when infectious bodily fluids come into contact with mucous membranes (WHO, 2014; CDC, 2010). As such, infection can occur when infectious fluids enter a cut, enter intravenously, or encounter mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose, or mouth (WHO, 2014; CDC, 2010).
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a virus transmitted from humans or animals through body fluids. It is transmitted by means of contact with infected blood, mucous membranes, semen and other secretions, therefore being skin lesions and sexual contact significant ways of transmission (Boulton, 2014). As a transmittable disease, progression of the virus had been thought to be linked to higher probabilities of transmission, and therefore safety of persons in contact with infected patients was in question (Yamin et al., 2015). A study conducted in Liberia in 2014 proved such hypothesis to be true and concluded that prompt and accurate isolation of infected patients was a safe method
For humans, Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the ebolaviruses. The virus is from the Filoviridae family. “Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope, and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest. Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with
In 2014, Center for Disease Control and Prevention diagnosed the first Ebola case in the United Stated, from a man in Dallas, Texas that came from Liberia. It came to the United States and in many ways it appears that the country was not ready for this kind of outbreak (CNN). CDC recognized the Ebola cases in the United States a lot of concerns were raised, and death is too many. In order to protect Medical Professionals and Public Health Professionals across the country, strategies and preparations with dedicated teams to undergo extensive training that would help reduce the chance of infection, and rigorous donning of personal protection equipment (PPE) training to ensure that it would stop spreading the disease. This research will outline
People remain infectious as long as they have blood that contains the virus. As the virus spreads through the body, it can cause levels of blood-clotting cells to drop and lead to severe and uncontrollable bleeding. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in outbreaks (Ebola VD). Determining if Ebola in a person who has been infected for a few days is difficult due to nonspecific early symptoms. If the transmission is possible, the patient should be isolated and the public health professionals should be aware. Early supportive care with rehydration, symptom treatment improves survival. The virus has various symptoms that could lead to any diagnosis and should take matters
Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family have been reported to be natural hosts of the Ebola virus. From there it has been introduced into the human population through the contact between blood, secretions and other bodily fluids of other infected animals such as gorillas, Chimpanzees and fruit bats. It is spread through direct human-to-human contact through broken skin or mucous and also other surfaces that have come in contact with the infected individuals bodily fluids. People who work in the health care department frequently become infected whilst treating patients
The symptoms of Ebola are a fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, vomiting, stomach pain, sore throat, diarrhea, weakness and occasionally read eyes, rashes, hiccups, and internal and external bleeding and since these symptoms are not specific to Ebola, it is difficult to clinically diagnose and can often be confused with other viruses. The ELISA testing, short for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and virus isolation are a couple of examples of the types of laboratory testing that can be done to diagnose and Ebola patient. Because of how easily it can be transmitted, it is extremely difficult to treat and there is no approved, official treatment. As of now, there is not standard treatment but usually the patients are given fluids and oxygen, have their blood pressure monitored and other necessary treatment. To prevent transmission and spreading the virus, the doctors use extreme caution and wear head to toe protective gear and isolate the patient. Even though the Ebola virus is common in Africa, there has been no known outbreak in the United States. Another difficulty facing scientists and the treatment for Ebola is that the natural reservoir for the virus unknown. The natural reservoir of a virus is it’s long term host of the
Ebola then spreads through direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids. Caregivers can contract this disease by coming in contact with blood, vomit, or other fluid. Ebola patients bleed intensely, so the chances of a caregiver contracting it is high. Also, many caregivers use rituals that require bathing the bodies, making them more vulnerable to infection. The disease is spreading from small, isolated villages to large cities, where it will be much harder to isolate patients.