Ebola Virus Hemorrhagic
Fever
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Fact Sheet
The disease Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever is
caused by a virus
Ebola is a virus, named after a river in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) in Africa, where
it was first discovered. It is spread through direct contact
with body fluids of a person who is very ill with Ebola
virus hemorrhagic fever. Four varieties of Ebola virus
are known to exist: Ebola Zaire (EBOZ), Ebola Sudan (EBOS),
Ebola Reston (EBOR), and Ebola Ivory Coast.
Ebola virus is transmitted person-to-person by
direct contact with infected blood, secretions, organs,
or semen
- An infected person can transmit the disease to others
as long as virus particles are left in the blood, which
may occur weeks after the person is feeling better.
There is potential for an infected person to transmit
Ebola to others after fully recovering from the illness.
- If an Ebola virus-infected patient dies, the body
remains infectious and must be handled with extreme
caution.
- Close contact with persons who are infected but who
do not yet show signs of active disease is very unlikely
to result in infection.
- There is no evidence of airborne transmission of Ebola
virus from human to human.
Fever and muscle aches are symptoms associated
with Ebola infection
Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever usually begins with the
sudden onset of fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and headache,
followed by sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, and a rash.
The disease can progress until the patient becomes very
ill due to severe bleeding which causes kidney problems,
liver problems, and shock. Many people (50-90%) who develop
Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever will die.
The incubation period is variable
Symptoms of Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever can begin anywhere
from 2 to 21 days (usually 7 to 14 days) after exposure
to the virus.
There is, at present, no cure or vaccine for
this viral infection
Avoid Ebola infection by avoiding contact with body fluids
(blood, feces, urine, vomitus, etc.) of infected people.
Men infected with Ebola virus should not have sex for
3 months or until tests show that semen is free of the
virus.
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