The Ebola Outbreak of 2014

What is Ebola? It’s a virus It causes EBV (Ebola virus disease) which is a hemorrhagic fever. It affects many organs and blood vessels and has a fatality rate of between 50% and 90% It first appeared in It is named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The natural host of the virus is thought to be the fruit bat. It enters the human population through human contact with bodily fluids or tissue (raw meat) of infected animals. It spreads from human to human through direct contact (broken skin or mucous membranes) with blood and bodily fluids of infected persons as well as with surfaces (bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids.

Some Information about Ebola Virus Disease: The time between infection and symptoms showing is between 2 and 21 days. Humans are not contagious until symptoms develop. First symptoms are fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headach and sore throat. Later symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, rash, kidney and liver issues, and bleeding. There is no cure. Treatment of symptoms, including rehydration, significantly improves survival rates. There is no vaccine but there are two promising vaccines currently being tested.

How did the 2014 epidemic begin? Emile Ouamouno, age 2 Died Dec. 6, 2013 ….4 days after getting sick Then his mother and then his sister and then his grandmother died Then 2 people attending his grandmother’s funeral spread the disease to their villages who spread it to a health care worker who worked in various villages….

MARCH 23, 2014 An Epidemic is Born…

Reasons for the Spread…… Not enough beds, health care workers, clinics Poor corpse handling People avoiding hospitals…. “death traps” Lack of community outreach (until later) Lack of awareness Weak health systems Porous borders Lack of infrastructure and organization Lack of personal protective equipment

As of February 10, 2015 almost one year later….

Infectious Diseases…..is Ebola the true terror? Make 3 observations in your notes

From this simulation…. Check out this simulation….click here!