Signs and Symptoms of Ebola

Signs and Symptoms of Ebola

Ebola is a viral disease in humans and other primates caused by Ebola virus. This viral disease is also called as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever. Signs and symptoms of this viral disease can be observed in an affected patient within 2 days to 3 week after contracting the virus. 

The Ebola virus is being transmitted to humans by wild animals spreading by the interaction of humans with wild life. This viral disease is an average fatality rate of 50% whereas this rate varied from 25% to 90% in some past outbreaks. The first outbreak of this viral disease occurred in Central Africa near tropical rain forest. 

The recent outbreak took place in some major urban and rural areas of West Africa. The disease caused by the Ebola virus is acute and serious and may lead to death if that is untreated. The first outbreak of this disease was seen in 2 places one in Nzara, Sudan & the other in Yambuku, Democratic republic of Congo. Later it spread in a village near the river Ebola. For this reason the disease was named as 'Ebola'. 

The most affected countries by this disease are Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. The Ebola virus belongs to the family Filoviridae. Till now five species of Ebola virus are found by the biologists. They are Bundibugyo, ZaireSudanand Restonand Tai Forest. The first three species are responsible for the outbreak of EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) in Africa. The West 

African outbreak is caused by the Ebola virus which belongs to the Zaire sp. At first it is thought that the natural host of Ebola Virus is fruit bats of Pteropodidae family. But it is observed that Ebola virus first introduced in human population by the secretions, body fluids, bloods of affected other organisms like gorilla, fruit bats, porcupine, forest antelope, monkeys and chimpanzees.

Signs and Symptoms of Ebola:

 The period between the exposure to virus and the appearance of the symptoms in the patient's body is known as incubation period. The incubation period for EVD may vary from 2 to 21 days. Usually it takes 4-10 days but in 5% cases it may take more than 21 days too. Humans only become infectious after the appearance of symptoms in their body. 

In generally the symptoms usually begin with Influenza (Body temperature becomes greater than 101 °F which is followed by weakness, decreased appetite, headache, muscle pains, tiring, joint pains etc. 
Sometimes the patient also suffers from vomiting, diarrhoea & abdominal pain also. In the next stage shortening of breath, chest pain may also occur. After 5-7 days of the beginning of symptoms a flat red area covered by small bumps found on the skin of the patient which is known as maculopapular rash. This is followed by the internal and external bleeding in some cases and the blood clotting rate decreases significantly. As a result of it blood vomiting, presence of blood in stool & cough can be found. 

Bleeding into the whites of the eyes also found sometimes. Extreme bleeding is rare case though it can take place in the gastrointestinal tract. Recovery from this disease usually begins 6-14 days from the appearance of first symptoms. If death occurred that is occurred within 6-16 days due to low blood pressure and fluid loss. 

Those who survived from this disease have ongoing muscular pain, liver inflammation or joint pain. This diseases isn’t transmittable by the persons who completely survived from this viral disease.


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