The World Health Organization (WHO) only yesterday (23 April) confirmed the case of Ebola in Mbandaka in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This is the third disease epidemic in the province of Equateur since 2018. Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a serious infectious disease with a very poor prognosis – up to 90% of people die from bleeding out. patients.
- The Ebola case in the DRC concerns a 31-year-old man who fell ill on April 5. After a week of home treatment, he was hospitalized, and on April 21, he was admitted to the intensive care unit at an Ebola treatment center. He died on the same day
- Africa has been struggling with recurring Ebola epidemics for years. In the DRC alone, it is already the 14th epidemic of the disease since 1976.
- Ebola hemorrhagic fever is caused by a virus of the same name. Symptoms of infection at first resemble those of a cold, however, extensive organ damage and internal bleeding quickly develop.
- More information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
A case of Ebola was found in a 31-year-old from Mbandaka, a town in the northwestern province of Equateur (DRC). The man began to experience the first symptoms of the disease on April 5. He was treated at home for a week, then went to the local hospital. On April 21, he was admitted to the Ebola treatment center in the intensive care unit, but died the same day. After the tests, it was confirmed that the patient was infected with the Ebola virus.
The services are trying to identify how the infection occurred. “Time is not on our side,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. «The virus has been around for two weeks and we have to catch up. The positive news is that the health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have more experience than anyone else in the world in quickly controlling the Ebola epidemic, ”he added.
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Since 1976, the DRC has experienced 13 Ebola outbreaks (this will be 14), six of which (including the current one) have occurred in the last four years. In the province of Equateur alone, ebola last appeared in 2020 and claimed 120 lives.
At the same time, attempts are being made to contain the spread of the virus. The deceased has already received a safe burial, which in this situation consists in modifying traditional funeral ceremonies in such a way as to minimize the risk of contamination with infectious fluids of participants (this is one of the ways of transmission of the Ebola virus). The health facility where the patient was staying has been decontaminated and the contact persons are under epidemiological supervision.
The immunization process has already started in response to the new Ebola epidemic. Vaccine stocks from other provinces will soon reach Mbandaka and will be given to those closest to the deceased and to those who may have come into contact with him. Many people in the city are vaccinated against Ebola, but protection has to be greater, so all those who received the vaccine during the last epidemic (2020) will be re-vaccinated.
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The rest of the text below the video.
What is Ebola?
Ebola haemorrhagic fever is a serious infectious disease caused by the Ebola virus. It is spread by droplets, but it is also possible to become infected through contact with blood or excretions of the patient or with objects he touched. You can also get infected from the deceased by touching his body, for example during a funeral ceremony.
The intubation period of the virus is on average eight to 10 days, but there are cases when the infection does not appear until three weeks after infection. The first symptoms of Ebola are similar to the common cold. It is mainly a headache, a sore throat, muscle pain, a feeling of breakdown and the accompanying sudden increase in body temperature. The patient may develop a maculopapular rash and a dry, tiring cough.
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As the disease progresses, the symptoms of Ebola worsen. The patient suffers from bloody diarrhea and vomiting, coagulation disorders and hemorrhages into body cavities occur. The patient becomes dehydrated, which, together with disturbances in electrolyte and protein metabolism, leads to extreme exhaustion and weight loss. Internal organs gradually deteriorate, inflammation of the heart muscle, kidneys, pancreas and lungs, as well as liver failure may occur.
Experience from previous epidemics shows that from Ebola die from 25 percent up to 90 percent sick. It happens, however, that patients recover from the infection and recover. Experts cannot explain why this is happening and why some people are able to fight such an aggressive pathogen.
Treatment of Ebola is symptomatic, focuses on the balancing of protein and water and electrolyte metabolism, supporting the work of the respiratory and circulatory systems, and dealing with hemorrhagic diathesis. To be successful, it must be implemented early in the disease.
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Protection against infection consists in following basic sanitary rules and avoiding direct contact with the patient’s blood or body fluids. The Ebola virus dies under the influence of e.g. soap, disinfectants, bleach and sunlight.
Merck’s rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine is also administered as prophylaxis. It is a recombinant vaccine showing 70-100 percent. efficacy against the Ebola virus. The protective effect can be obtained even a few days after taking it, however, how long this protection lasts has not yet been investigated.
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