Context:
Recently, Uganda declared an end to an Ebola virus outbreak that emerged almost four months ago and claimed the lives of 55 people. The move was confirmed in a statement issued by the WHO.
Relevance:
GS II: Health
Dimensions of the Article:
- About Ebola Virus Disease
- How does it spread?
- What are the symptoms?
- How can it be diagnosed?
- Treatment
About Ebola Virus Disease
- The first instances of the disease, formerly known as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, were discovered in Guinea in December 2013.
- Later, the illness spread to the nearby countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
- Bundibugyo, Sudan, and Zaire are three of the six strains that have historically caused significant outbreaks.
How does it spread?
- The Pteropodidae family of fruit bats is regarded to be a natural host for the Ebola virus.
- The virus travels from human to human and is acquired by people from wild animals (through broken skin or mucous membranes).
What are the symptoms?
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
This is followed by:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Rash
How can it be diagnosed?
- Clinically separating EVD from other infectious disorders such malaria, typhoid fever, and meningitis can be challenging.
- Numerous pregnancy symptoms and Ebola disease symptoms are remarkably similar.
- The following diagnostic techniques are used to confirm that symptoms are brought on by Ebola virus infection:
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody capture (ELISA)
- RT-PCR assay (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction)
Treatment:
- The Ervebo vaccine has been shown to be effective in protecting people from the species Zaire ebolavirus
- Two monoclonal antibodies (Inmazeb and Ebanga) were approved for the treatment of Zaire ebolavirus (Ebolavirus) infection in adults
- Remdesivir was also tested as an Ebola treatment.
-Source: The Hindu
