{EXCLUSIVE STORY} How to Prevent You & Your Loved Ones Contracting the Ebola Virus

The Lagos State Government yesterday confirmed a possible case of Ebola Virus, which is been currently investigated while treatment is on for the 40 year old Liberian, who is now a suspect, and a possible 30 others who may have had contact with him.

 

 

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adeshina, in a briefing noted that the 40 year old Liberian is in a private hospital in the Obalende area of the State. And that the hospital housing the Liberian has been cordoned off and the victim isolated.

However, there's the need for all of us, even if you are not in Lagos, to watch out and stay safe. Here are some tips:

WHAT IS EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE?

Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by ebola viruses. Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, throat and muscle pains, and headaches. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the disease has a
case fatality rate of up to 90 per cent, this means about 90 per cent of individuals that suffer from the disease could die. 

TREATMENT

• No vaccine for EVD is available. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use.   

TRANSMISSION

• Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals.
• Ebola then spreads in the community 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.
• Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness.
• Health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed EVD.

PREVENTION:

• Wash your hands frequently. As with other infectious diseases, one of the most important preventive measures for Ebola virus is frequent hand-washing. Use soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol when soap and water aren't available.
• Avoid bush meat. In developing countries, wild animals, including nonhuman primates, are sold in local markets. Avoid buying or eating any of these animals.
• Avoid contact with infected people. In particular, caregivers should avoid contact with the person's body fluids and tissues, including blood, semen, vaginal secretions and saliva. People with Ebola are most contagious in the later stages of the disease.
• Follow infection-control procedures. If you're a health care worker, wear protective clothing — such as gloves, masks, gowns and eye shields. Keep infected people isolated from others. Carefully disinfect and dispose of needles and other instruments. Injection needles and syringes should not be reused.
• Don't handle remains. The bodies of people who have died of Ebola disease are still contagious. Specially organized and trained teams should bury the remains, using appropriate safety equipment.
• Avoid traveling to areas of known outbreaks.
• Watch out for people with flu-like symptoms and sudden fever.

Those who notice “strange feeling or symptoms similar to those of Ebola virus, which ranges from fever, headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, sore throat and joint pains, which are all symptoms of other ailments, are urged to visit competent health facilities.