Also, there is no evidence that the virus can spread through water or air, and Ebola is not usually spread through food. First, it's worth noting that although Ebola is contagious, it cannot spread to others when a person does not show symptoms. There are several ways to prevent getting infected during an Ebola outbreak. How can you protect yourself against Ebola? 'And it spreads.' Photo: Sean Sheridan for Mercy Corps Mamu Paasewe, 35, and Bendu Fahnbulleh, 36, are two community educators who have been trained by Mercy Corps to help educate people in their community about the dangers and prevention of the Ebola virus.'The problem is that some people still don't believe Ebola is real,' Paasawe says. Furthermore, bats can transmit Ebola to other animals, which then spread the virus to humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have noted that eating and handling infected meat has led to transmission. Meat from wildlife such as rodents, bats, shrews and nonhuman primates have been found to be infected with the Ebola virus. They found that there is a far greater relationship between food and Ebola than they had expected. In a review published in 2015, during the largest Ebola outbreak in Africa, researchers evaluated the connection between Ebola virus transmission and food. They suspect the disease spreads from animal to person by eating something that had contacted infected bodily fluid from an animal, or by getting blood in the eyes from butchering an infected animal for meat. Even though animals are thought to start Ebola outbreaks, scientists are still not sure exactly how the virus is transmitted by an animal. This might be an infected fruit bat or a non-human primate. Scientists believe an Ebola outbreak begins when a human comes into contact with an infected animal. Factors such as quality medical care and quick intervention greatly affect a person's chance of survival. In itself, hemorrhagic fever refers to the interference of the body’s ability to clot.īecause Ebola attacks the immune system, and leads to uncontrolled bleeding and organ damage, up to 50 percent of people who become infected with Ebola will die. Ebola is one of the viruses that cause hemorrhagic fever. The term hemorrhagic fever refers to a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses. Ebola symptoms may include the following:Ībout a week after the first symptoms appear, most people develop a rash followed by hemorrhagic fever. Some individuals might suspect they have the flu or malaria at first because these illnesses share many common symptoms with Ebola. On average, most people start to experience symptoms eight to 10 days after coming into contact with the virus. It may take anywhere from two to 21 days after exposure to the virus for symptoms to appear. What happens to your body when you get Ebola?Įbola symptoms do not necessarily appear immediately after exposure. Infected fruit bats are thought to be the most likely source of Ebola. Scientists do not know where the Ebola virus comes from, however, they believe it is animal-borne. In humans, EVD is caused by the Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Tai Forest virus or Bundibugyo virus. The average fatality rate is around 50 percent. Ebola also causes tissue damage and inflammation. It is also known as hemorrhagic fever because the virus causes issues with how blood clots and might lead to internal bleeding. The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare and lethal disease caused by a virus, and mostly affects people and nonhuman primates. It is possible to control Ebola - first by understanding how the virus works. We’ll also explore ways to protect oneself against the virus. In this section, we will provide an overview of the Ebola virus, how it affects the body and how the virus is transmitted. However, Ebola is still considered a rare disease, and there are many ways to protect yourself against the virus in the event of an outbreak or as a traveler to a country affected by Ebola. Ebola can spread quickly if community members and healthcare workers do not take preventive measures. Scientists cannot pinpoint exactly where an Ebola outbreak begins, but they know that Ebola is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids. Ebola still exists in Africa, years after the last heavily publicized epidemic impacted the world from 2014 to 2016.

Ebola ways of transmission