Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

In News

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported a fresh outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD).

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

• About: 
  • Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a rare but severe, often fatal illness in humans.
  • The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission (Zoonotic disease).
  • It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola, virus hosts.
• Symptoms:
  • Fever, fatigue, muscle, pain, headache, and sore throat.
  • This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases internal and external bleeding.
• Measures:
  • Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks.
  • Supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms improve survival.
  •  A range of potential treatments including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies are currently being evaluated.

Source:DTE