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