The Ebola Virus

The Ebola Virus

The Ebola virus (EVD) is a hemorrhagic fever that affects human beings and other primates (Baseler et al., 2017). This fever is caused by the Ebola viruses and is fatal once it remains untreated. The Ebola virus can receive treatment through vaccines which are still under development. Severe cases of the infection have been experienced in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent years. Its symptoms begin between two and three weeks after the virus has been contacted in human beings (Baseler et al., 2017). In a detailed analysis done in this paper, the symptoms, transmission, diagnosis, prevention and control, among other facts about the virus are discussed in details.

Signs and Symptoms

In the early stages of the Ebola fever, it can feel like the common flu. The incubation time of the virus which is the period from its contraction to the time of the onset of its symptoms is from two to 21 days which can equally be translated to three weeks (Baseler et al., 2017). An infected person can show some sudden symptoms which include high fever which usually ranges above 38.3 degrees Celsius, fatigue, and pain in the muscles and joints, headache, abdominal pains, lack of appetite and sore throats (Baseler et al., 2017). As the virus progresses and gets worse the following symptoms can be exhibited; vomiting, diarrhoea which in most cases appears to be bloody, rashes on the skin, kidney and liver malfunction, internal and external bleeding from various openings in the body like the eyes, ears and nose and laboratory tests may indicate low white blood cells and platelet count in the blood and additional elevated enzymes in the liver (Baseler et al., 2017). However the symptom takes up to 21 days to develop clear symptoms, researches indicate that in some cases, around 5% of infected people may take more than 21 days to develop and exhibit the symptoms of the virus.

Diagnosis of the Virus

In the diagnosis for the Ebola virus, once suspected, the travel and work history of the infected person are vital factors to consider. Equally, exposure to wildlife is an important aspect to consider as the virus is transmitted from wildlife to human beings (Broadhurst et al., 2016). In many cases, it can be difficult to make a clinical distinction between the Ebola virus and other infectious diseases which may have similar symptoms like malaria, typhoid and meningitis. The symptoms of such diseases and those of Ebola are quite similar, thus the difficulty in the laboratory diagnostic tests for the Ebola virus. However, the clinical diagnosis for the Ebola infection can be made a success by using the following diagnostic methods; the antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the antigen-capture detection tests, serum neutralization test, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR), electron microscopy and the virus isolation by cell culture (Broadhurst et al., 2016). In the diagnosis for this infection, it is important to make careful considerations in the selection of the diagnostic test taking into account the technical specifications, the prevalence of the disease and the incidences observed and the medical implications of the test results. Diagnostic tests which have been through a successful independent and internal evaluation should be considered for the diagnosis purpose of the infection.

In various documented researches, the recommended diagnostic tests for the Ebola virus include; the nucleic acid tests (NAT) which are usually automated or semi-automated and are used for the management of routine diagnosis and in remote areas where the NATs are not easily availed, the rapid antigen detection tests are used which are only recommended for screening purposes (Broadhurst et al., 2016). For a successful diagnosis, the preferred specimens for diagnosis are the whole blood collected ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) from the infected patients and the oral fluid specimen that is also collected from the patient exhibiting the symptoms of the Ebola infection.

Transmission of Ebola Virus

It is believed that the natural hosts of the Ebola virus are the fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family (Chughtai et al., 2016). The virus is passed to human beings through the contact of blood, secretions, organs and any other bodily fluids of the infected animals (Chughtai et al., 2016). This virus is common in animals that include the fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelopes and the porcupines. In human beings, the Ebola virus spreads by direct contact with the blood or any other bodily fluids of a person who is infected by the disease and has developed the symptoms of the virus (Chughtai et al., 2016).  In addition to that, the virus can also be spread in human beings via direct contact with objects that have been contaminated with bodily fluids of the infected persons. Apart from the blood, which is a common bodily fluid, other bodily fluids that may spread the infection are vomit, sweat, saliva, tears, breast milk, urine and faeces from an infected person.

According to the world health organization (WHO), only people who are infected by the virus and have fully developed the symptoms of the virus are capable of transmitting it from one individual to the other (Chughtai et al., 2016). The common entry points for the virus in humans include the mouth, nose, eyes, abrasions, open wounds and cuts that may have developed on an individual. Large droplets may also be a transmission media for the Ebola virus; however, this occurs only when an individual is very sick, and it happens when a person is splashed with the droplets. Survival of the virus, however, may be successful on objects for a few hours when they remain in a dried state and for a few days within body fluids outside a person. In semen, the virus may persist for more than three months after recovery, thus may be spread through sexual intercourse (Deen et al., 2017). The persistence in semen has been evidenced in the screening programs after the recovery.

Prevention and control of the Ebola Infection

The control of the Ebola infection greatly relies on the application of interventions and management of the cases. This can be made successful through contact tracing and surveillance, laboratory services, safe burials of the infected persons and social mobilizations on the control of the infection (Corti et al., 2016).  Engaging the society in the prevention and control techniques of the infection has, however, shown tremendous success in the control of the infection. Community engagement has been carried out through raising awareness of the infection and taking part in eliminating the risk factors that lead to the exposure of the virus. The control of the infection has been done through various actions that have reduced the risk of contracting and spreading the virus among human beings. Some of the measures that have succeeded in controlling the infection include; reducing the frequencies of contact between human and wildlife (Corti et al., 2016). Since the transmission of the virus originates from infected wildlife, it is important to reduce the contact between wildlife and humans. In cases where it is mandatory to handle and come in contact with wildlife, it is better to use precautionary measures in handling animals like using gloves and protective clothing.

Wearing protective clothing such as masks, gloves, goggles, and gowns are also among the prevention measures of the infection (Corti et al., 2016). By use of protective gear, there is no part of the body that remains exposed; thus, the transmission and the contraction of the disease is controlled. Containment of individuals also contributes to the prevention and control of this infection (Corti et al., 2016). In containing the suspected individuals and monitoring their health for 21 days, the spread of the infection is reduced among other healthy individuals.

Treatment of the Ebola Infection

Though no clear medication has been proven effective for the Ebola virus, at least some treatments have been developed to help cure the infected individuals. This is due to the great outbreak of the pandemic in West Africa that began in the year 2013. The trials that began in the treatment of the disease have yielded a successful but not proven treatment. Some of the treatment trials that have been used in the treatment of the virus are; supportive care (Deen et al., 2017). This entails the care of the suspected individual at the early stages of the infection before it has fully developed to defeat the individual’s immune system. Rehydration of the infected individual is also among the treatment techniques for the infection (Deen et al., 2017). Rehydration can be done through the administration of oral or intravenous fluids to infected persons. Rehydration is done because the infected individual loses a lot of body fluids hence becoming dehydrated. Treatment of infected persons with specific symptoms has also been observed as a measure that improves the survival of infected persons (Deen et al., 2017). This is administered by controlling the symptoms like fever, after which the subsequent symptom that is observed on the individual is treated.

In summary, there has not yet been a proven treatment available for the Ebola virus. However, it is important to appreciate the efforts that have been made by health organizations which include the development of potential treatments like immune therapies and drug therapies that are under evaluation currently. It is recommendable to continue with experimental treatments that have always been acting as a preventive measure for the infection as health experts generate their efforts in the development of a proven vaccine for the virus. It is equally vital for human beings to observe preventive and control measures to avoid the contamination of the virus.

References

Baseler, L., Chertow, D. S., Johnson, K. M., Feldmann, H., & Morens, D. M. (2017). The pathogenesis of Ebola virus disease. Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease, 12, 387-418.

Broadhurst, M. J., Brooks, T. J., & Pollock, N. R. (2016). Diagnosis of Ebola virus disease: past, present, and future. Clinical microbiology reviews, 29(4), 773-793.

Chughtai, A. A., Barnes, M., & Macintyre, C. R. (2016). Persistence of Ebola virus in various body fluids during convalescence: evidence and implications for disease transmission and control. Epidemiology & Infection, 144(8), 1652-1660.

Corti, D., Misasi, J., Mulangu, S., Stanley, D. A., Kanekiyo, M., Wollen, S., … & Shi, W. (2016). Protective monotherapy against lethal Ebola virus infection by a potently neutralizing antibody. Science, 351(6279), 1339-1342.

Deen, G. F., Broutet, N., Xu, W., Knust, B., Sesay, F. R., McDonald, S. L., … & Liu, H. (2017). Ebola RNA persistence in semen of Ebola virus disease survivors. New England Journal of Medicine, 377(15), 1428-1437.