Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

Presented by Joe Willett, Jenny Nguyen, & Rob Hoblitzell

What is Ebola?• Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly

known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe often fatal illness in humans (World Health Organization).

• Transmitted from wild animals to people.- Fruit bats (natural Ebola virus hosts)- Chimpanzees, monkeys, gorillas- Ill or dead antelope or porcupines in forests

** Close contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of

infected animals

• Weakness• Fever• Aches• Diarrhea• Vomiting and stomach pain

** May appear anywhere from 2-21 days AFTER exposure to the virus

• Raised rash• Severe weight loss• Red eyes• Bleeding – usually

from the eyes

Symptoms of Ebola:

• Ebola is considered a class A pathogen

• Strains have been found in many animals

• Multiple strains exist each with different symptoms

• Fatality rates for some strains are as high as 90%

• There is no cure for Ebola or preventative measures

Why is Ebola Such a Serious Threat?

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there have been 5,987 cases of Ebola since 1976, resulting in 3,385 deaths.

• The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%.

• Case fatality rates have varied from 25%-90% in past outbreaks.

• The most severely affected countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia

** New cases found in the United States of America and other parts of the world such as Spain

High Mortality Rate

Infected Animals Pose a ThreatMost of the ways humans can contract the Ebola virus is through contact with infected animals such as:

o Pigs - Pork is a popular kind of food and the discovery of Ebola in pigs is cause for alarm

o Bats - highly mobile and if infected could spread disease almost anywhere

o Rodents - Rats and mice have long been carriers of pestilence, they are everywhere and spread disease easily

o Gorillas and chimpanzees

Multiple StrainsThe different strains are named for the different locations where they were identified.

Ebola-Zaire• started in the Congo• first identified in 1976• has the highest fatality rate, usually around 70-90%

Ebola-Bundibugyo• started in Uganda• discovered in 2008• most closely related to the Ivory Coast strain

Ebola-Côte d'Ivoire• started in the Ivory Coast• West Africa is a very heavily hit region

Ebola-Reston• found in Virginia, but originally came from Philippines• lowest capacity for spreading to humans• strongly speculated to have come from pigs

Ebola-Sudan• started in south Sudan

What makes this unsettling in our eyes?• Currently there is no known cure or vaccine for

any of the strains of Ebola

• This is worsened by the fact that the disease is so deadly

• The medical industry has neglected to do much research into Ebola at all

• There has been almost no motivation to develop a cure or vaccine for as long as the disease has existed because:o Mostly contained in Africa

o It is a fairly rare and uncommon disease

o Medical industry has not determined a profit can be made from producing a cure or vaccine

Where should you worry?• It primarily resides in Africa, parts of Asia, and the Philippines

• Ebola virus has been found in the Philippines on several occasions, with surprising reports documenting infections in pigs

• The emergence of the virus in pigs raises important concerns for health, agriculture, and food safety in the Philippines and could turn into a serious issue for parts of Asia.

Not all hope is lost!• The recent scare in the USA has become the catalyst which has

helped to jump start more research into the outbreak of Ebola which could save many lives.

• So far many of the outbreaks have been in remote villages, which although can be devastating for the local populace has prevented any wide scale epidemics or pandemics

• Although far from perfect there are methods to help patients with Ebola

• Security with plane stations are very strict with their precautions about Ebola and if they think you may have Ebola they will not hesitate to have you checked out.

What to do if you have Ebola?• If you believe you have the symptoms after traveling from one of

the countries specified then you should go to a hospital immediately.

•Allow yourself to be treated in a hospital.

•Although transmission of Ebola is not spread casually you must become isolated in a hospital to decrease the chances of spreading Ebola

Steps of Prevention• Ways in which you can help to keep yourself safe:

o Be aware of how Ebola is transmitted and take appropriate measures in making sure you don’t fall victim to transmission.

o Practice careful hygiene.

o Wash hands with soap & water or alcohol-based sanitizer

o Avoid contact of blood, secretions, and bodily fluids of those infected

o Avoid traveling to countries at high risk of Ebola such as Africa.

o If someone has Ebola it would be wise to stay away from that person until the Ebola has run its course.

Hope for the Future• Having a proactive community is key to

controlling outbreaks: staying on top of all the cases, keeping track of anyone possibly infected, a modern lab, safe burial practices, and community mobilization

• Early support and care can also help patients: rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves the chances of survival. There is no licensed treatment proven to neutralize the virus but a range of blood, immunological and drug therapies are under development.

• There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines, but 2 potential candidates are undergoing evaluation and will hopefully help to overcome this horrible virus.

Works CitedPathogen Regulation Directorate, Public Health Agency of Canada. (2010, August). Ebola Virus. Free Safety Data Sheet Index. http://www.msdsonline.com/resources/msds-resources/free-safety-data-sheet-index/ebola-virus.aspx

Feldman, H., Geisbert, T. W. (2011, March). Ebola haemorrhagic fever. The Lancet. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673610606678

WHO Media Center. (2014, September). Ebola virus disease. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

Bausch, D.G., Goldman, L., Ausiello, D., Peters, C.J., Mandell, G.L. (2013, September). Ebola hemorrhagic fever. MedlinePlus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001339.htm

Poon, L. (2014, July 10). Ebola 101: The Facts Behind A Frightening Virus. Goats and Soda. http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2014/07/10/330133944/ebola-101-the-facts-behind-a-frightening-virus