Ebola: incubation period. How do they get infected with Ebola?

Ebola disease "mows" the population of West Africa. The virus has penetrated into many other countries. He was identified in the UK, USA. The World Health Organization fever is recognized as a threat to states around the world. Where did this deadly disease come from ? What is dangerous Ebola? The incubation period, symptoms, methods of treatment of the disease and even today are controversial.

What is Ebola?

It's impossible to say for sure where the virus came from and how the person first infected it. But he was born in Africa. For the first time they started talking about him back in 1976. So, this is not a new virus. In the distant 1976-th outbreak of epidemics were seen in several areas. However, a virus was found in Zaire (today - Congo) on the coast of the Ebola River. From here he got his name.

Once in the body, the virus causes a disease, the official name of which is Ebola haemorrhagic fever. Photos of infected people are simply horrible! The death rate is almost 90%. And the worst thing is that the victims of Ebola can not hope for a saving vaccine. It just does not exist. Even treatment is in doubt. After all, there are no official preparations for fever either.

Fever-2014

A new outbreak was recorded in Guinea in December 2013. Infection with high rapidity began to spread to neighboring countries. Ebola patients were recorded in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria. For the history of the virus, this is the most deadly outbreak.

The infected people met not only in West Africa. Two American volunteer doctors picked up the virus at the heart of the fever. In the US, this caused real panic. After all, only one patient is enough for the disease to spread rapidly across the country.

On the patient doctors with their full consent, a new experimental drug was tested. The drug against the Ebola virus is the development of a biotechnical company in San Diego. How the human body reacts to this drug, even the creators did not know. After all, all experiments were conducted exclusively on monkeys. When all the signs of Ebola in the poor doctor were there, they were given an experimental drug. An hour later, the symptoms of fever began to decline.

How do they get infected with Ebola?

It is suspected that the "parents" of the virus were winged (they are also called volatile dogs). The carriers can be monkeys (gorillas, monkeys, chimpanzees), porcupines, forest antelopes and other animals.

How is Ebola transmitted to man? Initially, you can get infected from an animal. The virus is transmitted through secretions and saliva. Thus, if a sick monkey has scratched or bitten, then the person will become infected. In addition, hunters who cut animal carcasses fall into the risk group.

How do people who do not come into contact with animals are infected with Ebola? Unfortunately, only one person who has caught a deadly virus is enough. And then it spreads along the chain. The virus is transmitted through the blood and all biological fluids. Thus, even during a kiss you can get a deadly ailment.

Sometimes people who even know how they get infected with Ebola get sick themselves. Sometimes, not noticing the smallest wound, not visible to the naked eye, they picked up the virus. There are many cases of infection in Africa from the dead. After all, even the body of the deceased is contagious. The virus can also spread due to contact with objects that were infected by a sick person.

Symptomatology of the disease

Having an idea of how Ebola is transmitted, it is possible to recognize the disease in time by characteristic signs.

So, initially the ailment develops as a cold disease. At the initial stage, the following signs of Ebola are characteristic:

• headache;
• Increase in temperature to 39-40 degrees;
• cardiopalmus;
• muscle pain;
• Dry cough, throat swelling;
• chest pain;
• Amimichnost person, sunken eyes.

Further progression of the disease is characterized by a new symptomatology. It appears on the 2nd or 3rd day:

• Vomiting;
• Pain in the abdomen;
• Diarrhea with bloody impurities.

On the third, sometimes the fourth day is clearly visible hemorrhagic syndrome. In the eye proteins there is a hemorrhage. Skin covers, internal organs begin to bleed.

On the 5th-7th day he presents a koreal-like rash. Visually, it looks like red spots. However, the patient does not experience itching. Over time, the place of the rash appears peeling. The inner side of the hip and shoulders is most vulnerable. Patients are observed retardation, confused consciousness. Sometimes the disease manifests the opposite symptom - psychomotor agitation.

On the 8th-9th day, extensive bleeding, an infectious-toxic shock leads to a sharp drop in blood pressure. At this time, death may occur.

If the lethal outcome was avoided, the improvement in the condition is observed on the 10th-12th day. The patient normalizes the temperature. The patient begins to recover. This process lasts from 2 to 3 months.

The incubation period

It is very important to understand in what time the disease can manifest itself. Most sources believe that such an ailment as Ebola, the incubation period has from 2 to 21 days. On average, the interval between the infection process and the onset of the first symptoms varies from 3 to 9 days. As a rule, this time is enough to make Ebola manifest in all unattractiveness. The incubation period, it should be understood, still lasts up to 21 days. Therefore, a malady can manifest itself in any of these days.

Risk group

Absolutely no one can boast of protection from a terrible virus. However, there are categories of the population most at risk of infection:

1. Physicians, who by virtue of the profession are forced to treat patients.
2. Perhaps even more at risk are those close to the infected. After all, they have a mission to care for the sick.
3. In a special category are allocated hunters.

Diagnosis of the disease

Initially, an epidemiological anamnesis is analyzed. In other words, it is established that the patient is in an unfavorable area. The issue of possible contact with an infected person is being studied. If such a probability exists, then the diagnosis of "Ebola" becomes questionable. The incubation period, as was noted above, is 21 days. At this time the patient should be hospitalized.

In this period, the following studies are carried out:

1. Careful examination of complaints and anamnesis of the patient. Attention is paid to the time of temperature increase, massive bleeding, watery stool with the presence of blood and so on.
2. Virological diagnostics. Biological liquids are investigated. From the blood, human saliva secretes the virus and injects it into the body of the laboratory animal. It is monitored to identify the characteristic development of the infectious process.
3. Serological diagnosis. With the help of antibodies, the causative agent of the virus is recognized. In the future, they try to eliminate it.
4. Consultation infektsionista.

Treatment of fever

Ebola patients are necessarily hospitalized in special boxes. The treatment of such patients is allowed only by trained personnel. Unfortunately, a clear program has not been developed, which allows to overcome such ailment as Ebola. Treatment implies the following:

• Taking antiviral drugs;
• Introduction into the body of donor immunoglobulins - protective bodies are taken from people or horses that have suffered an ailment, and therefore, are immune to the virus.

Therapeutic treatment is reduced to fighting symptomatology:

• Bed rest;
• Use of easily digestible, semi-liquid food;
• Injection of glucose or saline solutions, if the patient has severe intoxication and dehydration;
• Vitamin therapy (ascorbic acid, B ₆ , PP);
• Transfusion of platelets (donor) for the normalization of blood coagulability;
• Antipyretic drugs;
• Hemodialysis - cleansing the blood of the artificial kidney system from the toxins that the virus produces;
• Antibiotics for the development of bacterial complications.

Is there a cure for Ebola?

This issue does not only bother the patients themselves. It is asked by the broad masses of the people, fearing a possible epidemic. This goal is set by scientists, trying to protect the population before the threat of danger. And although today the measures to combat such ailment as Ebola are rather doubtful, treatment, presumably, will soon be found.

Despite the fact that the official vaccine is not yet registered, many potential drugs have already been invented. A striking confirmation of this is the experimental drug, which was tested on American doctors. Nor did the Canadian pharmaceutical corporation, which created a drug that could fight fever, lag behind.

Russia also did not go into the background. Under Novosibirsk, test systems are developed that can diagnose a dangerous virus. It is there, at the Vector Science Center, that work is underway to create a unique vaccine for Ebola. Already today, a new drug is tested on animals. However, the employees of the center keep all information secret.

Thus, we hope that very soon a unique vaccine from the deadly fever will be presented to the broad masses of the population.

Prevention and counseling

The issue of protecting the population from a deadly virus is not rising sharply. After all, today there is not a single confirmed case of infection in our country. However, for the purpose of prevention, you should read some of the recommendations. They will allow to take all necessary measures in a correct and timely manner not to be in the role of Ebola's victim.

Key recommendations:

1. In order to prevent the possibility of contracting a fever, it is better to refuse visiting Western and Central African countries.
2. If you need to travel to the above areas, you need to use protective masks. Try to avoid places of congestion and, if possible, not to contact the affected population.
3. From a preventive point of view, you should constantly ventilate the room, make a damp cleaning, carefully observe the rules of hygiene. You should not buy at unauthorized places of trade.
4. If you suspect a disease Ebola, you should wear a face mask and immediately seek help from a doctor.
5. If on the return from the trip there were symptoms, somewhat reminiscent of Ebola, you need to turn to a specialist in a timely manner. The doctor should provide full information about the countries in which they stayed. Must specify the time of travel.

Conclusion

Most recently, the essence of the Ebola virus was not clear, and the fever itself seemed something very far away: it rages somewhere in Africa, takes measures, the disease is stopped. But the news of a patient from the UK, infected doctors from America made the virus a fairly specific threat.

But do not panic. Rospotrebnadzor assures that the Russians do not face an epidemic. However, it is better to give up trips to the countries of West Africa. But in other countries you can go without fear of bringing a terrible "souvenir". After all, strict anti-epidemic measures can be saved from a deadly virus. But when you return, you should carefully listen to your body. After all, the incubation period of an unpleasant illness lasts 21 days.