Download Ebola Virus - Rohan Patel

Ebola Virus
Rohan Patel
HLTH 3011
Ryan Martin
Section 001
What is Ebola?
It is an extremely contagious filovirus causing
an acute, usually fatal hemorrhagic fever and
spreads through contact with bodily fluids of
infected persons and by airborne particles.
Definitions
Filovirus – Any of a group of filamentous RNA
viruses of the family Filoviridae that are
characterized by elongated, branched,
curved, or spherical virions and that cause
hemorrhagic fevers.
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever – Severe and often
deadly illness that can occur in humans and
primates. Highly destructive.
Zoonotic – animal-borne
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever
Severe and often deadly illness that can occur
in humans and primates.
Patients usually die from low blood pressure
cause by shock rather than from the actual
blood loss.
Ebola HF has been considered to be a possible
cause of the Plague of Athens in 430 B.C.
The first officially recorded outbreak
occurred in July 1976 in Sudan.
What actually happens…
Quick acting virus, highly destructive
Within 2 days after exposure, headaches begin. Headaches will get
worse, causing eyeballs and temples to ache
Then you become nauseated, spike a fever, and vomit.
Vomiting gradually gets worse, you vomit until you can’t anymore.
Dry heaves follow.
Personality will change to a more passive state. Face will come
emotionless and you start to become more zombie-like.
Bruises start appearing all over your body and your eyes turn red.
Your personality will change again to an angrier state.
Blood clots start forming inside of you. This causes dead spots to
appear in many of your organs.
Your skin appears to have one continuous bruise and becomes soft
and pulpy.
Your mouth bleeds and the surface of your tongue sloughs off.
You start vomiting blood and chunks of dead stomach and
esophagus cells.
What actually happens…
Unbelievably horrific way to die.
The lining of the throat and windpipe are thrown up.
Your eyes fill up with blood and you start crying blood.
You may have a stroke from the blood clots in the brain.
Your heart bleeds.
The lining of the bowels open and blood vents out of your anus.
Basically, blood flows out of every orifice in your body.
Stops clotting because it has lost all of its clotting factors.
In males, testicles can grow to the size of a grapefruit.
Your kidneys fail and your blood becomes toxic with urine.
Your spleen grows to the size of a baseball.
You have grand mal seizures.
You eventually become delirious from brain damage and go into
shock and die.
Different Strains of Ebola
Ebola-Zaire
Deadliest strain
Ebola-Sudan
More manageable than Ebola-Zaire
Ebola-Reston
Initial outbreak in Reston, VA (First United States contact)
Discovered in animals that had been imported from the
Philippines
Caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans.
Ebola-Ivory Coast
Severely affected monkeys
Caused disease in humans, but no known human deaths.
Ebola-Bundibugyo
Most recent Ebola virus strain discovered
Prevalence Rates
The most common strain of the Ebola virus in
humans is the Ebola-Zaire, which carries
approximately a 90% mortality rate.
Ebola-Sudan, the second most common
strain, has an average mortality rate of
roughly 58%.
Ebola-Bundibugyo, the most recently
discovered strain, has a 34% mortality rate.
Natural Whereabouts
Most commonly found in Africa, but the exact
origin, location, and natural habitat of the virus
remains unknown.
4 out of the 5 strains originated in Africa.
Ebola-Reston most likely originated in the
Philippines.
It is not known to be native to other continents,
such as North America.
Considered zoonotic.
How Does Ebola Spread?
The manner in which the virus first appears in a
human at the start of an outbreak has not been
determined.
First patient became infected through contact with
an infected animal.
Individuals can be exposed from direct contact
with the blood and/or secretions of an infected
individual.
Most often spread through families and friends
because they come in close contact when caring
for infected individuals.
Symptoms
Incubation period
symptoms
Fever
Severe headache
Joint and muscle
aches
Chills
Sore throat
Vomiting (often
bloody)
Hiccups (very bad
sign)
Symptoms (cont.)
Later symptoms
Bleeding from eyes,
ears, nose, mouth,
and rectum
Bloody diarrhea
Red eyes
Rash over the entire
body that often
contains blood
Roof of mouth
looks red
Chest and stomach
pain with a cough
Severe weight loss
Diagnosis
Initial diagnosis is difficult because early
symptoms, such as red eyes and a skin rash, are
nonspecific to the virus.
The initial incubation period is between 2 and 21
days.
Tests that can be done to diagnose a case of
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever within a few days of
the onset of symptoms.
Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) testing
IgM ELISA
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Virus isolation
Preventive Strategies
These strategies should be considered prior
to travelling to Africa.
Avoid any areas where there has been an
epidemic (Ex. Zaire, Sudan)
Wear a mask, gown, and gloves around
infected or potentially infected patients.
What to do if infected
with the Ebola Virus?
Call Health Care provider immediately if you
have travelled to Africa recently or if you
know you have been exposed to Ebola Fever
and you are starting to develop symptoms of
the disorder.
Early diagnosis and treatment may improve
the chances of survival.
Containment Measures
Should be isolated from other patients and
strict barriers should be implemented.
Tracing and follow-up of individuals who
could have been exposed to Ebola through
contact with infected patients.
Hospital staff must be immediately educated
on the destructive of the virus and its
transmission routes. Particular emphasis on
the handling of blood and secretion.
Clothing must also be disinfected.
Treatment
No standard treatment
Patients receive supportive therapy.
Pre-existing medicines typically effective in
fighting viruses are ineffective against Ebola.
Immediate hospitalization, intensive care will
most likely be required
Supportive measures for shock will include
medications and fluids given through a vein.
Transfusions of platelets or fresh blood may be
required due to bleeding problesms.
Contact Resources
If you or someone you know has been
infected with the Ebola virus, the best thing to
do is immediately seek medical attention by
calling 911.
If your healthcare provider is having trouble
with the virus, it is a good idea to contact the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) at 770-488-7100 for more information.