Deadly Ebola Virus detected in Guinea

March 26, 2014

The deadly Ebola virus detected in the samples of a viral hemorrhagic fever that has killed more than 50 people in the West African nation of Guinea marked the first ever human outbreak of the disease in the country. There are fears that the virus may have been spread across the border into Sierra Leone. UNICEF has set up Doctors without Borders in Gueckedou to try to stop the disease from spreading.
At present, Guinea is also grappling with epidemics of measles, cholera and meningitis.
And an outbreak of deadly epidemic Ebola can be devastating for the country, as they have weak medical infrastructure.
About deadly Ebola virus (EBOV)

Order: Mononegavirales.
Family: Filoviridae.
Genus: Ebolavirus.
Causes an extremely severe disease in humans and in nonhuman primates in the form of viral hemorrhagic fever.
Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever and one of the most virulent viral diseases known to humankind.
Distinct strains of the Ebola virus:Bundibugyo, Ivory Coast, Reston, Sudan and Zaire.
Transmission to humans can come from wild animals or from direct contact from infected human blood, feces or sweat, or by sexual contact and the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.
Signs and symptoms: Severe fever and muscle pain, weakness, vomiting and diarrhea. Then, organs shut down, causing unstoppable bleeding.
Between two and 21 days after becoming infected, patients begin to feel weak and experience headaches, muscle aches and chills. They lose their appetite and feel lethargic, suffering from stomach cramps, diarrhea and nausea. A so-called hemorrhagic fever sets in, accompanied by severe internal bleeding. This condition affects the gastrointestinal tract, spleen and lungs, eventually leading to the death.
The virus is called ‘a molecular shark’ in health publications.
According to the World Health Organization, the deadly fever has a fatality rate of up to 90 %.
No cure or vaccine for the virus.
Occurs mostly in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.

Note: The only way to limit the possibility of infection and an epidemic of this deadly disease is to take preventative measures. These include establishing hygiene practices in hospitals, wearing protective latex gloves and having adequate quarantine measures in place.

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