On Ebola...

Ebola… Sounds innocuous enough… but deadly and scary at the same time… especially in West Africa and specifically Sierra Leone.

And, since I’m currently living and working in Sierra Leone, I had to look into the issue. The World Health Organization was my first Internet stop… then the Center for Disease Control… then African Ministries of Health. I also surfed through the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, Mayo Clinic, WebMD and other websites. Yes, this kind of Internet research takes considerable time… given the current state of web-access in Sierra Leone.

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a severe acute viral illness characterized by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. And, there’s a 2-21 day incubation period.

There is no vaccine for Ebola. There is no specific treatment available.

Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, in Sudan, and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease got its name from the Ebola River in the DRC near the site of the first outbreak. Documented information concludes the infection originated through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, and antelope found ill or dead in the rainforest.

Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids. Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola.

Because there’s no treatment… raising awareness and taking protective measures are the only way to reduce infection and the spread of the disease.

So says the W.H.O… Educational public health messages for risk reduction should focus on several factors:

• Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat.
• Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission arising from direct or close contact with infected patients, particularly with their bodily fluids. Close physical contact with Ebola patients should be avoided. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients. Regular hand washing is required especially after caring for patients.
• Communities affected by Ebola should inform the population about the nature of the disease and about outbreak containment measures, including burial of the dead. People who have died from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried.

The public messages are running over radio stations here in Sierra Leone. UNICEF and the Ministry of Health have printed informational posters. NGO vehicles display A4 posters on their windows. Signs are up in hospitals and clinics. Sensitization campaigns are underway in communities around the country. But it seems this is not enough. People are still dying in Sierra Leone.

I’ll update this blog with info and numbers as they become available…