Ebola virus disease
Ebola virus disease
Ebola virus disease is a serious illness that started in Africa, where a large outbreak happened in 2014 to 2015. In June 2016, the outbreak was officially declared over.
The 2014 to 2015 outbreak of Ebola mainly affected 3 countries in west Africa: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Some cases also occurred in parts of central Africa.
Around 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths were reported by the World Health Organization. This was the largest known outbreak of Ebola.
Is Ebola still a risk? There is still a small chance that occasional cases of Ebola may occur in Africa, since the virus is present in several countries there, but the risk for people travelling to Africa is minimal.
The people who remain most at risk are those who care for infected people or handle their blood or body fluids, such as hospital workers, laboratory workers and family members.
To find out what the health risks are for an area you are planning to visit, you can check information for that country through official travel health advisory sources or foreign travel advice from your government.
The risk of an Ebola outbreak occurring in Bangladesh remains negligible.
Common Symptoms
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
Treatment
Right now doctors don't have a licensed cure or vaccine they can rely on for Ebola, though researchers are actively developing and testing new vaccines and drug therapies.
Whenever an outbreak is confirmed, the affected area is quarantined immediately, and anyone found to be infected is cared for in isolation, usually in an intensive care unit.
Dehydration is one of the biggest dangers, so patients are often given fluids directly into a vein. Doctors also work to keep blood oxygen levels and blood pressure steady, supporting the body's organs while the immune system fights off the virus.
Healthcare workers looking after these patients have to be extremely careful to avoid contact with bodily fluids, which means wearing full protective equipment at all times.
Ebola can be fatal, but the outlook improves a great deal when care is given early. The sooner treatment starts, the better a person's chances of survival.
Prevention
Preventing Ebola
Follow these simple precautions to minimise your risk of picking up potentially serious infections.
Do
- wash your hands frequently using soap and water – use alcohol hand rubs when soap isn’t available
- make sure fruit and vegetables are properly washed and peeled before you eat them
- avoid physical contact with anyone who has possible symptoms of an infection
Don’t
- do not handle dead animals or their raw meat
- do not eat ‘bushmeat’
You can check the advice for an area you’re planning to visit checking Travel Health Pro country information or GOV.UK foreign travel advice.
Don’t include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions.