30 Shocking Facts about Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a type of disease caused by 5 different viruses of Ebola. Out of these, four of them are able to cause severe illness on animals and humans. The first one, Reston virus, is known to cause illness in animals but not in human beings.
Since the first outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in 1976 in parts of northern Zaire, Ebola has been inactive until reentry when it broke out in full swing in some West African countries. Here below are some of the facts you need to know about Ebola hemorrhagic fever and Ebola survival rate:
1. Ebola hemorrhagic fever is an illness caused by viruses that cause vascular damage resulting in symptomatic bleeding.
2. Ebola hemorrhagic fever is mainly a zoonotic disease caused by viruses that normally reside in arthropods or animal hosts that serve as vectors.
3. Viral hemorrhagic fevers are normally seen linked with only one particular species and as a result are usually found in geographically restricted areas. However, should the virus brought and contracts with human beings, it get spread very fast as in the current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.
4. Ebola hemorrhagic fever is usually transmitted among arthropod and animal hosts; though the viruses carried in these arthropods and animals can get contracted by human beings through coming into contact with feces, saliva, urine or other bodily fluids of an infected arthropod or animal.
5. Symptoms of Ebola hemorrhagic fever viral include weakness, fatigue, fever, dizziness, and muscle aches. Bleeding from the skin, internal organs or parts like the mouth, ears, eyes represent a more serious case.
6. Patients suffering from of Ebola hemorrhagic fever are normally given supportive therapy as there is cure for this disease. The Ebola survival rate is very minimal.
7. Prevention and control of Ebola hemorrhagic fever is difficult. No vaccines have been made available commercially so that prevention measures are achieved much easier.
8. Researchers and scientists are addressing the threat Ebola hemorrhagic fever to humans by developing molecular, immunological and containment methods but so far they haven’t achieved that.
9. The Human Ebola hemorrhagic fever outbreak occurs sporadically and irregularly and so, it’s very difficult to predict.
10. Guinea had 1667 cases of Ebola hemorrhagic fever and 1018 people have so far died out of it.
11. Liberia is the most hit country with a whooping 6535 cases and 2413 deaths
12. Mali has so far recorded 1 case and 1 death with the infection originating from.
13. Nigeria has recorded 20 cases and 8 deaths.
14. Senegal has recorded 1 case and 0 deaths. The infection originated from guinea.
15. Sierra Leone on its part, it has recorded 5338 cases and 1510 deaths
16. Spain has had 1 infection but no death cases have been reported.
17. United States has been hit by 4 cases of infection and I case of death through Ebola hemorrhagic fever.
18. In 1976, the First recognition of the Ebola was discovered in Zaire (the now known as Democratic Republic of the Congo). The outbreak caught 318 human beings leading to a reported 280 deaths. In the same year, an Ebola outbreak took place in Sudan (current South Sudan) leading 284 cases and 151 deaths.
19. In November 2008, The Ebola-Reston virus was detected in five humans in the Philippines. They were workers on a pig farm and slaughterhouse who contracted this virus but never succumbed to death.
20. In March 25, 2014 guinea had had fresh cases of Ebola and 86 people had contracted the virus. The Ebola survival rate in guinea stands at 37.7%.
21. In July 2014, a top government official, Patrick Sawyer, in the Liberian Ministry of Finance, was reported to have died out Ebola infection.
22. In July 2014, an American aid worker in Liberia, Nancy Writebol, tested positive for Ebola. And According to Samaritan’s Purse, Writebol was infected while treating Ebola patients in Liberia.
23. In July 26, 2014 medical director, Kent Brantly, working for Samaritan Purse’s Ebola Consolidated Case Management Center, was infected with the virus.
24. In July 29, 2014, Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan charged with overseeing Ebola treatment at Kenema Government Hospital, Sierra Leone died from complications related to Ebola.
25. In July 30, 2014, The Peace Corps announced its decision to remove its volunteers from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
26. In July 31, 2014, CDC raised its warning to Level 3; warning U.S. citizens to avoid “nonessential travels” to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
27. In August 4, 2014, it was reported by CNN that three top secret, experimental vials of the drug had already been flown to Liberia in a last-ditch effort meant to save Brantly and Writebol.
28. In August 8, 2014, World Health Organization experts declared the Ebola epidemic in West Africa an international health emergency. They demanded a coordinated global approach, terming it as the worst ever Ebola outbreak to have ever hit the world.
29. in August 19, 2014, the Liberia President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf declared a nationwide curfew starting August 20 and ordered the two communities most hit to be completely quarantined, without movement in or out of their areas.
30. Back in 1989, macaque monkeys in Reston, Virginia imported from the Philippines were found to be infected of the Ebola virus that was later named the Ebola-Reston virus.
As seen from the aforementioned facts, the Ebola survival rate is really minimal and most people infected with this virus end succumbing to death. Though this remains to be the case, various efforts from various health organizations have seen the improvement Ebola treatment leading to the increase in the Ebola survival rate. International communities such as U.S.A have of late been busy developing vaccines and other drugs meant to curb the spread of this virus as well as increasing the Ebola survival rate from its current status. Other efforts include the awareness of people to avoid coming into contact with suspected animals and people.
