VIDEO: Interview with Ebola Survivor

Sasobas Temé Sadnou is a survivor of the deadly Ebola disease outbreak in West Africa. He was treated by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and has recovered, but many do not. Here he speaks about his experience.

*From  Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). July 17, 2014

Nigeria's First Ebola Virus Victim Dies - Mr. Patrick Sawyer

Mr. Patrick Sawyer, a government official in Liberia, collapsed in Lagos and died a few days later after flying into the city two weeks ago. Mr Sawyer had flown from Monrovia to Ghana, and then changed planes in Togo for the final leg to Lagos. Health officials in Nigeria closed and quarantined the hospital where he was treated, and tested nurses and flight attendants, but have not reported any positive results.

Ebola Virus:History, Modes of Transmission,Symptoms and Prevention

EBOLA VIRUS AWARENESS

Ebola Virus Disease Background Information

The outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in some countries in Central and West Africa have claimed the lives of over 100 people while others at large are still receiving treatment in various isolated locations.

Presently, a suspected case of this disease involving a Liberian who had recently arrived Nigeria was reported. Therefore, it becomes imperative to create awareness and educate all Nigerians especially residents in Lagos on how to prevent this deadly disease.

Facts about Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

• A haemorrhaegic fever (severe illness with bleeding) caused by a virus known as Ebola.
• One of the most lethal viral infections with a high mortality rate (death rate) during outbreaks
• No Vaccine and no treatment is available
• Most people with Ebola die – up to 90% rate

How is Ebola transmitted?

• Transmitted from infected animals like fruit bats, monkeys, gorillas etc to people
• Direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected or dead victim.
• Indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids but cannot be transmitted through air

Signs and Symptoms

• Early symptoms include fever, tiredness, headache, and nausea.
• Later symptoms include vomiting (which may contain blood), diarrhoea (which may contain blood), cough (which may contain blood), and bleeding (mostly from nose and mouth).

Prevention Strategies

1.      Do not travel to areas where the disease is endemic (avoid traveling to all the affected African Countries)

2.      Stay away from any patients who may have the disease if an outbreak is suspected; Do not touch an infected person (alive or dead) or their body fluids, including blood, vomit, faeces, urine etc.

3.      STOP eating bush meat or any

4.      Adhere strictly to simple hygiene principles like

5.       Avoid buying foodstuff, clothing and/ or other personal materials from markets/ shops that share the same vicinity with live or roasted 'bush meat' dealers or sellers.

6.      Cull infected animals with close supervision of burial or incineration of carcasses may be necessary to reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission

7.      Gloves and other appropriate protective clothing should be worn when handling sick animals or their tissues.

As a final rule, if you suspect the disease or you have persistent fever not responding to the standard treatment for malaria and typhoid, report to the nearest Health facility