Introduction
Ebola is an acute, presumably zoonotic disease from the group of viral hemorrhagic fevers that occurs with a pronounced hemorrhagic syndrome. It has a high mortality rate and is one of the most dangerous viral infections. The virus takes its name from the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it was first reported. WHO (2019) experts distinguish five varieties of the virus: Bundibugyo (BDBV); Zaire (EBOV); Sudan (SUDV); Tai Forest (TAFV); and Reston (RESTV). The first three of these are associated with major outbreaks in Africa. The virus that caused an epidemic in West Africa in 2014 belongs to the Zaire species. If an infected person does not recover within 7-16 days after the onset of the first symptoms, then the likelihood of death increases. A blood test shows neutrophilic leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and anemia.
Treatment
To date, there are no specific drugs that could cure Ebola, so the basis of treatment is supportive therapy aimed at eliminating structural and functional disorders in the body and designed to alleviate the patient’s condition. Outbreak containment measures include burying the dead quickly and safely, monitoring the health of contacts for 21 days, and the importance of separating healthy and sick people to prevent further transmission of the virus (WHO, 2019). The experimental vaccines currently in use have not yet gone through the full cycle of trials and have not been fully tested for efficacy and safety for humans.
Conclusion
The largest outbreak of Ebola began at the end of 2013. The main difference from previous epidemics was that the virus moved to densely populated cities. Prior to that, it was found only in sparsely populated regions of the African jungle. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has identified the so-called “patient zero” – the person who started the Ebola epidemic. It turned out to be a two-year-old boy from Guinea who died on December 6, 2013. Within six months, the virus had spread from southeast Guinea to much of Liberia and Sierra Leone. On November 7, 2015, it became known that transmission of the virus had completely stopped in Sierra Leone (CDC, 2019). On December 29, 2015, the authorities of Guinea declared victory over the virus (CDC, 2019). On January 14, 2016, the WHO announced the end of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia (CDC, 2019).
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
World Health Organization. (2019). Ebola virus disease. World Health Organization. Web.