What Is the E-Boli Virus & What Are the Symptoms?

Ebola is a virus that causes a deadly and extremely contagious illness called Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The disease affects humans as well as primates.

Origins

• The disease was discovered in the Congo in 1976 and was named after a river there. Two other strains of Ebola found to be deadly in humans were discovered in the Ivory Coast and Sudan, and epidemics have spread throughout western Africa. So far, there has not been an outbreak in the U.S.

Transmission

• The virus is transmitted though direct contact with bodily secretions, such as blood or saliva. Due to the bleeding that occurs in later stages of infection, the virus often becomes increasingly contagious and remains so even after a victim has died.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Ebola fever usually set in from two days to three weeks after infection. This illness shares the symptoms of many serious fevers, such as sore throat, vomiting and severe fatigue and dehydration. During advanced stages of the disease, external and internal bleeding often occur, often at massive and deadly rates.

Treatment

• As of yet, there is no known treatment that can kill the virus. Treatment plans are instead prescribed to control symptoms, such as intravenous fluids and breathing devices, to prevent dehydration and to aid troubled breathing as well as medications to control blood pressure and other vitals.

Cure

• There is no known cure for the Ebola virus; however, researchers are currently working on vaccines, and successful trials have been achieved in experiments with monkeys. Mortality rates have ranged between 50 to 90 percent of victims in a given outbreak.