14 Oct 2014 – Is Prevention Possible?
The first known outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD), was identified only after the fact, occurring between June and November 1976 in Nzara, South Sudan (then part of Sudan) and was caused by Sudan virus (SUDV), one of the ebolaviruses. A second outbreak of EVD caused by Ebola virus (formerly called Zaire ebolavirus) began in Yambuku, a small rural village in Mongala District in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as Zaire).
Virus strain samples isolated from both outbreaks were named as the ‘Ebola virus’ after the Ebola River, located near the originally identified viral outbreak site in Zaire. Perhaps since this was happening mainly in Africa then that the attention and awareness was not there. With the recent deaths outside Africa, the world now feels threatened.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26835233
Ebola virus disease (EVD), Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) or simply Ebola is a disease of humans and other manuals caused by an ebolavirus. Symptoms start 2days – 3weeks after contracting the virus. No specific treatment for the disease is yet available. Can Ebola be prevented? First, do not visit the areas that have Ebola outbreaks and if one has to, take all the necessary precautions. Then by reporting if you or anyone are showing any of the symptoms.
Signs and symptoms typically begin abruptly within 5 – 10days of infection with Ebola or Marburg virus. Early signs and symptoms (seems similar to the flu symptoms! ):
- Fever
- Severe headache
- Joint and muscle aches
- Chills
- Weakness
Over time, symptoms become increasingly severe and may include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea (may be bloody)
- Red eyes
- Raised rash
- Chest pain and cough
- Stomach pain
- Severe weight loss
- Bleeding, usually from the eyes, and bruising (people near death may bleed from other orifices, such as ears, nose and rectum)
- Internal bleeding
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ebola-virus/basics/symptoms/con-20031241
http://www.straitstimes.com/ebola-virus-2014
All info and pix on Ebola are downloaded from various sites. It is such a relief to receive news from Kitty who lived in Sierra Lonnie is now transit in Ghana and will be heading to live with her family in the US. Stay healthy and safe journeys to them.
As the saying goes – prevention is better than cure but in this case, what happens when there is NO cure???
18 Oct – another death reported from Germany
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abby-norman/im-a-hazmat-trained-hospi_b_5998486.html
30 Mar 2016 – WHO downgrades Ebola health risk
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-35921161
May 2026 ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola epidemic a “public health emergency of international concern.” WHO warned the high positivity rate and increasing number of cases and deaths point toward “a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/17/africa/ebola-outbreak-congo-uganda-explainer-intl
