Ebola hemorrhagic fever

By : Balbeer SinghSZABIST, Karachi

Background• Ebola virus disease (EVD)

first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks.

one in Nzara, Sudan and

the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The current outbreak in west Africa, (first cases notified in March 2014), is the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak

Structure of Ebola Virus

Structure of Ebola Virus

• Single-stranded, linear, non-segmented

• Filamentous - shape of “U” or “6”

• Coiled, toroid, or branched

• 19 kb length,60-80 nm in diameter

• Negative-sense enveloped RNA (3’ to 5’ direction)

• “Spikes” appearance

• Ebola viruses are mainly

found in primates in Africa

and possibly the Philippines

• Ebola is a rare but deadly

virus that causes bleeding

inside and outside the body.

• As the virus spreads through

the body it damages the

immune system and organs

• Ultimately, it causes levels of blood-clotting cells to drop.

• This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.

• Ebola virus, kills up to 90% of people who are infected.

• As the disease gets worse, it causes bleeding inside the body as well as from the eyes, ears, and nose.

• Some people will vomit or cough up blood, have bloody diarrhea, and get a rash.

Transmission

• It spreads to people by contact with the skin or bodily fluids of an infected animal

• like a monkey Or fruit bat• Then it moves from person to person the same

way. • Those who care for a sick person• or bury someone who has died from the disease

often get it.• Other ways to get Ebola include touching

contaminated needles or surfaces.

Transmission

Who is at Most Risk of Getting Ebola

• Health care providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick.

• Because they may come in contact with the blood or body fluids of sick patients.

• People also can become sick with Ebola after coming in contact with infected wildlife.

• Sometimes it's hard to

tell if a person has Ebola

from the symptoms

alone.

• Tests of blood and

tissues also can diagnose

Ebola.

How Is Ebola Virus Diagnosed?

Treatment

• No specific treatment available but experimental ones are

• Frequent dehydration and oral rehydration with solutions containing electrolytes or intravenous fluids.

• Maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure

• Replacing lost blood

• Treating other infections if they occur

Vaccine for Ebola

• No licensed vaccine for EVD is available.

Several vaccines are being tested, but none

are available for clinical use.

Thank YOu