The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has surpassed 700, according to the World Health Organization. Its the deadliest outbreak ever recorded. U.S. health officials are warning Americans not to travel to the three countries hit by the outbreak: Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Amid fears that air travelers could spread Ebola to other countries, many are asking questions about the disease and how it is transmitted. Heres what you need to know about Ebola. The information comes from WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What is Ebola?
Ebola virus disease, sometimes known as EVD, is a highly infectious, usually fatal virus that leads to flu-like symptoms and severe internal bleeding.
Just how deadly is Ebola?
The survival rate is very low. Somewhere between 60 percent and 90 percent of the people who develop Ebola will die.
What are the symptoms of Ebola?
Ebola is often characterized by the sudden onset of flu-like symptoms including fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. These are followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and sometimes internal and external bleeding.
How is Ebola spread from person to person?
The good news is that Ebola isnt transmitted through the air. You arent going to get Ebola if an infected person sits next to you or sneezes in the same room. The disease is transmitted through contract with bodily fluids, such as blood. Health care workers are particularly at risk if they are not wearing appropriate protective equipment, such as masks, gowns and gloves.
Whats the incubation period for Ebola?
The time from infection with the virus to the onset of symptoms ranges from two to 21 days.
Whats the cure for Ebola?
Right now, there isnt one. Doctors typically provide supportive care to patients, which may include oxygen, blood transfusion and fluids and treating subsequent infections. An American woman just received an experimental serum.
Whats the prognosis for Ebola patients who survive?
Survivors may develop some chronic inflammatory health problems of the joints and eyes.
When did people first start getting Ebola?
Ebola first appeared in 1976. There were two simultaneous outbreaks, in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). The Congolese outbreak occurred in a village near the Ebola River, which is how the disease gets its name.
The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has surpassed 700, according to the World Health Organization. Its the deadliest outbreak ever recorded. U.S. health officials are warning Americans not to travel to the three countries hit by the outbreak: Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Amid fears that air travelers could spread Ebola to other countries, many are asking questions about the disease and how it is transmitted. Heres what you need to know about Ebola. The information comes from WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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