Ebola Virus.ppt

Ebola Virus Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreaks 1976- First Major Outbreak (ZEBOV) 1976- Sudan (SEBOV) Occur Sporadically for more information Where does Ebola hide? 2002- Fruit Bats Antibodies against Ebola Ebola Gene sequences in liver and spleen Fruit bats do not show any symptoms Best candidate to be the reservoir More research needs to be done Geography The link between human infection by the Ebola virus and their proximity to primates is clear. -Outbreaks occurred in countries that house 80 percent of the world’s remaining wild gorilla and chimpanzee populations. - The outbreaks coincided with the outbreaks in wild animals. - The same distinct viral strains were isolated in animal carcasses and in the bodies of those who handled those carcasses. - These outbreaks were preceded by an abnormally large death in wild Gorilla populations. Clinical Observations Incubation period: 2-21 days Stage I (unspecific): -Extreme asthenia (body weakness) -diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, anorexia abdominal pain - headaches - arthralgia (neuralgic pain in joints) - myalgia (muscular pain or tenderness), back pain - mucosal redness of the oral cavity, dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing) - conjunctivitis. - rash all over body except in face ** If the patients don’t recover gradually at this point, there is a high probability that the disease will progress to the second phase, resulting in complications which eventually lead to death (Mupapa et al., 1999). Stage II (Specific): - Hemorrhage - neuropsychiatric abnormalities - anuria (the absence of urine formation) - hiccups - tachypnea (rapid breathing). ** Patients who progressed to phase two EHF almost always die. (Ndambi et al., 1999) Late Complications: -Arthralgia - ocular diseases (ocular pain, photophobia and hyperlacrimat