Understanding Ebola
What exactly is Ebola, how do you get it, and what are the symptoms? The House Call Doctor answers your questions.
Sanaz Majd, MD
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Understanding Ebola
If you’ve turned on the TV lately at all, you are likely either obsessed with the news coverage on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa–and are contemplating living in a bubble so you’ll never have contact with another human being again–or you are so sick of hearing about it that you are finding yourself watching more episodes of “The Kardashians” than ever before, simply to banish thoughts of deadly viruses that wreak havoc on entire villages.
Either way, I’m hoping to relieve some of that Ebola-generated anxiety.
Sure, the media loves to run with these mysterious-infectious-disease-outbreak stories, just like Hollywood likes to make movies about rare, unlikely scenarios that threaten our common sense and increase our fear (“Outbreak,” “28 Days Later,” or “I Am Legend,” anyone?)
But why has Ebola become such a hot topic of terror-provoking media coverage? There are a few potential reasons:
- It’s very foreign to us in the U.S. (thankfully): how many of us actually know someone infected with Ebola?
- It’s potentially fatal: it has an over 50% death rate. Scary.
- It’s gross (at least for many non-health professionals): who wants to think about bleeding out of every orifice?
The media needs to sell, and Ebola sounds like a perfect storyline. But as my colleague, Ask Science, covered in his podcast about the science of (and studies on) Ebola, the “facts” reported by the media aren’t always clear, or correct.
So before you dash to the nearest hospital the next time you run a fever, let’s find out what it really is, how it’s contracted, and understand the reality of such a disease spreading in the U.S.
What is Ebola?
Ebola is a virus that is named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it first was identified in 1976. There are currently 5 strains of the virus, with 4 out of the 5 causing disease in humans. It is suspected that it first originated from fruit bats, and then spread to humans.
It is the cause of a very threatening illness called “hemorrhagic fever,” where the term “hemorrhagic” refers to bleeding that is often accompanied by a high fever. This bleeding is often caused by Ebola’s effects on the liver, which normally produces the necessary clotting factors to stop bleeding when it occurs. If the clotting factors are no longer being produced by the liver the way they should be, then the patient can experience excessive and prolonged bleeding.
This bleeding can be external or internal, and can involve multiple organs, such as the kidneys, brain, and lungs. Unfortunately, Ebola has a high risk of mortality associated with it, and about 55% to 88% of those who contract it eventual die from organ failure, due to bleeding and/or shock.
As of early August 2014, there have been about 1711 cases of reported Ebola since 1976, including 932 deaths. To put this in context, the much more common flu virus often kills thousands each year in the United States alone.
What Are the Symptoms of Ebola?
What Are the Symptoms of Ebola?What’s worse, Ebola often causes very vague symptoms that can be attributed to many other illnesses and health conditions. Depending on the involved organs, Ebola can cause the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Malaise
- General weakness
- Decreased appetite
- Muscle and joint pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Rash that is diffuse (meaning, it spans multiple areas of the body)
- Pink eye
- Hiccups
- Seizures
- Bruising
- Bleeding
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
Displayed symptoms can take 2 to 21 days to appear after exposure, but they more often come up within 5-7 days.
How is Ebola Contracted?
Ebola is transmitted via exchange of bodily fluids from animals or humans that have been infected with the Ebola virus. This includes contact with infected:
- Blood
- Feces
- Vomit
- Urine
- Sweat
- Semen
- Saliva
- Needles or non-sterilized medical equipment
- Contact with blood or fluids of infected animal meat
It is not an airborne illness–so you cannot contract it by breathing the same air as someone infected with it (in contrast to the common cold or flu viruses.) Most people who contract the virus will tell you that they remember caring for someone who was ill.
If Ebola is suspected, a blood test can be used to confirm the diagnosis.
How is Ebola Treated?
One of the greatest challenges with Ebola is that there is no cure. Like many other viruses, once contracted, it needs to run its course. Also, like other viruses, it requires certain supportive measures to mitigate its effects while it runs its course–like providing IV fluids, controlling the bleeding and low blood pressures, fever control, maintaining oxygenation, etc.
No specific treatment for Ebola currently exists, but several investigational drugs are under development. There also is no available vaccine, but is currently in developmental phases, as well. Just remember this: it’s not very realistic for such a virus to spread as rapidly in developed countries like the U.S., no matter how much drama and fear the media likes to create.
It’s important to learn about what’s going on in the rest of the world, and it is truly heartbreaking to watch West Africans suffer in this tragic way. But at the same time, I think it’s our job as health care providers to provide honest, non-biased medical information so we can place it all into more realistic context.
And it may be wise to avoid the thriller films, if you find yourself seriously disturbed to the point of insomnia, too!
Share your ideas and learn more quick and dirty tips with us on the House Call Doctor’s Facebook and Twitter pages!
Please note that all content here is strictly for informational purposes only. This content does not substitute any medical advice, and does not replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal health provider. Please always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all health related questions and issues.
Photos of Virus sign, Ebola magnified, and virus courtesy of Shutterstock.
