Ebola: Nabina Shrestha Roll No. 3039
Ebola: Nabina Shrestha Roll No. 3039
Ebola: Nabina Shrestha Roll No. 3039
Nabina shrestha
Roll no. 3039
Introduction
Ebola virus disease, Ebola haemorrhagic fever commonly
termed Ebola.
One of many haemorrhagic fevers.
The disease takes its name as it was identified in a village
near Ebola river in Congo, in 1976.
Viral disease with an acute, serious illness which is often fatal
if untreated.
Caused by Ebola virus (Filoviridae/RNA virus)
Fatality upto 90% in outbreaks.
Transmission
Fruit bats – natural Ebola virus hosts.
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.
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 these fluids.
People remain infectious as long as their blood contains the
virus.
Health care workers –frequently infected while treating
patients with suspected or confirmed EVD.
Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact
with the body of deceased person play role in disease
transmission.
Risk factors :
Close contacts of Infected individuals
Family members
Care givers
Health care personnel
People involved in managing dead bodies
Epidemiology
Ebola virus first appeared in 1976, causing simultaneous
epidemics of severe hemorrhagic fever (550 human cases) in
Zaire and Sudan. Later confirmed as 2 different epidemics.
Epidemics - usually begins with single case acquired from an
unknown reservoir in nature (fruit bats), and spread mainly
through close contact with sick person or their body fluids,
either at home or in the hospital.
Associated with inter human spread (particularly in the hospital
setting) and the use of unsterilized needles and syringes.
After an interval of apparent inactivity of almost 20 years,
the Zaire Ebola virus recurred in a major epidemic (317
cases) in the DRC in 1995 with high mortality rate – 88%.
Smaller epidemics in Gabon in 1994–1996. The epidemic
smoldered, when intense nosocomial transmission forced
closure of the hospitals. The last case was reported in June
1995.
Separate emergences of Ebola virus (Zaire) were detected in
Gabon in 1994–2003, usually in association with deep-forest
exposure and subsequent familial and nosocomial transmission.
After its first documented activity in 1976, the Sudan Ebola
species returned in epidemic form to cause an indolent
outbreak in Uganda in 2000–2001. This outbreak claimed the
lives of 224 (53%) of 425 patients.
Past important outbreaks of EHF
Year Country Cases Deaths Case fatality
2012 DRC 57 29 51%
2012 Uganda 24 17 71%
2008 DRC 32 14 44%
2007 Uganda 149 37 25%
2007 DRC 264 187 71%
2005 Congo 12 10 83%