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Monday, September 1, 2014

HOW THE EBOLA VIRUS SPREADS


Ebola emerged in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There are several strains which vary in how dangerous they are to humans, but death rates have reached as high as 90 per cent.
In the current outbreak it is just over 50 per cent. The virus is introduced into humans through direct contact with the blood, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals including fruit bats, which are eaten as a delicacy.
The virus then spreads between humans through direct contact with blood, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people.
Symptoms include fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
People are infectious as long as their blood and bodily fluids contain the virus and the incubation period can range between two and 21 days.
Although the disease has no cure, modern medical treatment and quick isolation help hugely to bring the death toll down.
Source: World Health Organisation 




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