Ebola Fact Sheet - Assignment Example

Ebola fact sheet Background Enormous data is available about the Ebola virus, but people are still afraid when they hear about the virus. However, this occurs because people do not have facts with them concerning the virus. The Ebola virus first emerged in 1976, and it has since changed strains and developed to its current state.HistoryHistory of Ebola dates back to 1976 when it first appeared in Sudan and Zaire, and was named from the Ebola River in the then Zaire. The first outbreak took place in Sudan and infected more than 284 individuals, and the death rate was at 53%.

In later months, the second Ebola virus struck in Yambuku, Zaire, and it recorded the highest death rate of the Ebola virus at 88% and infection of over 300 individuals. Researchers have not yet identified its reservoir and the third strain emerged in 1989 when infected monkeys were imported to Virginia from the Philippines. The last strain of Ebola was discovered in Cote D’Ivoire in 1994 when a female ethologist accidentally infected herself when doing a necropsy on a dead chimpanzee. Subspecies of EbolaZaire ebolavirus (EBOV)Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV)Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV)Tai Forest ebolavirus (TAFV)Reston ebolavirus (RESTV)FactsEbola is extremely infectious, but not contagious because a small amount can cause illness/one virus can cause or trigger infection.

Air does not transmit Ebola as other communicable diseasesOthers can infect people when they come into contact with infected body fluids or objects from infected persons. Butchering infected animals can also cause the disease in human beings.No reservoir is known, but researchers believe fruit bats host it. Symptoms appear after 8-10 days and the incubation period is 21 days symptoms of EbolaWeaknessFever and achesDiarrhoeaRed eyesChest pain and throat sorenessDifficulty in breathing or swallowingBleeding from the openingsTreatmentWorld Health Organization confirms there is no specific vaccine or treatment for Ebola virus and fatality rates can be up to 90%.