FEAR OF EBOLA VIRUS GRIPS NIGERIANS with Bilesanmi Maryam

Ebola virus,one of the deadliest diseases is mainly found in primates
in africa and possibly philippines.It was first discovered in 1976
when it emerged in Sudan and Zaire,it is also classified into
four-Ebola-Sudan(EBOS),Ebola-

Zaire(EBOZ),Ebola-Restron(EBOR),Ebola-Coted'voire(EBO-CI).

The first strain of Ebola(EBOS) infected over 284 people with a

mortality rate of 55%,the second strain (EBOZ) has the highest

mortality rate of 88%, the third strain (EBOR) was first detected in

1989 when infected monkeys were imported from Philppines and infected

few people who never developed Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever(EF),the last

known strain (EBOCI) was discovered in 1994 when a female ethologist

accidentally infected herself while performing a necropsy on a dead

chimpanzee from the Tai forest.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever occurs mainly in Africa in the Republic of

Congo, Gabon, Sudan,Ivory Coast, Uganda and continues to rage in

Guinea, Liberia,Sierra Leone and has spread to nearly 6 other West

Africa Countries.Risk factors of the fever are travel areas with

endemic Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever and/or close association with an

infected person.

The fever incubates within two to twenty-one days.Symptoms include

fever,headache,joint and muscle aches,sore throat,weakness and

progressive symptoms include diarrhea,vomitting,stomach

pain,hiccups,rash and more terrible symptoms of internal and external

bleeding.

Prevention include

1-avoidance of areas of outbreaks

2-washing of hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol based

hand rubs containing at least 60% alcohol

3-avoiding eating or touching bush meat or any wild animals

4-avoiding contact with infected persons and do not handle the

still-contagious  remains of infected persons with care.

NB-Ebola is spread by direct contact with blood and secretions from

infected patients and clothing,needles and syringes used to treat

patients.

However the fear of this deadly virus has been heightened by the recent death of a Nigerian Nurse who treated the Liberia-American Businessman Patrrick Sawyer who travelled from Monrovia to Lagos. 

But reports that a treatment worked on two American Doctors have renewed hopes for the containment of this deadly virus that has no cure

Health workers have hailed the reported success of the experimental drug, ZMapp, on Ebola infected American doctor, Dr Kent Brantly and American Missionary Health worker, Nancy Writebol, while calling for caution.