On Tuesday, Ministry of Health declared Ebola disease outbreak in Kasese district, south west of Uganda.
Currently, according to Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, three people have tested positive and one died on Tuesday at 9:30 pm as seven people are under surveillance.
Here are seven facts you need to know about Ebola disease.
1. Ebola is one of the viral hemorrhagic fevers, caused by a viral infection of the Filoviridae family, genus Ebolavirus.
2. According to Dr Jill Seladi-Schulman, a microbiologist and infectious disease specialist, fatality rates of Ebola vary depending on the strain.
“Ebola-Zaire can have a fatality rate of up to 90 per cent while Ebola-Reston has never caused a fatality in humans,” she said.
3. Ebola virus spreads by direct contact with blood and secretions, by contact with blood and secretions that remain on clothing, and by needles and/or syringes or other medical supplies used to treat Ebola-infected patients
4. The incubation period for the Ebola virus is about 2 to 21 days. This is when signs and symptoms appear.
5. Patients who die of Ebola usually have a poor immune response to the virus while those who survive have symptoms that can be severe for a week or two; recovery is often slow (weeks to months) and some survivors have chronic problems such as fatigue and eye problems.
6. A patient suspected to be with Ebola virus must have the following signs and symptoms; fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and lack of appetite.
7. Some patients may experience: rash, red eyes, hiccups, cough, sore throat, chest pain, difficulty breathing, difficulty in swallowing and bleeding inside and outside of the body.
8. There is no standard treatment for Ebola hemorrhagic fever; only supportive therapy and experimental treatment is available.
9. Patients who survive the infection may remain contagious for approximately 21-42 days after symptoms abate.
Additional note from MedicineNet
