TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page-   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Certification –        –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Dedication – –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Acknowledgments-          –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Table of Content-   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v-vi

CHAPTER ONE

1,0 Introduction- –         –         –         –         –         –         –         1-3

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Ebola Virus- – –         –         –         –         –         –         –         4

2.1     Ebola Virus- –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         4-6

2.2     Epidemiology and Prevalence of Ebola Virus Infection-   –         6-10

2.3     Signs and Symptoms of Ebola Virus Infection-       –         –         10-12

2.4     Causes of Ebola Virus Infection-         –         –         –         –         12-13

2.5     Transmission-        –         –         –         –         –         –         –         14-16

2.6     Pathophysiology of Ebola Virus Infection-    –         –         –         17-19

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Prevalence and Management of Ebola Virus Infection- –         20

3.1     Diagnosis of Ebola Virus Infection-    –         –         –         –         20

3.1.1  Laboratory testing- –         –         –         –         –         –         –         21-22

3.2     Differential Diagnosis-    –         –         –         –         –         –         22-23

3.3     Prevention of Ebola Virus Infection-   –         –         –         –         23-26

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION- –         –         –         –         27

4.1     Summary-    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         27-28

4.2     Conclusion- –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         28

References

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Ebola virus disease (formerly called Ebola Hemorrhagic disease) is a severe, often fatal, disease in humans and non-humans primates caused by the Ebola virus. In 2014, a major outbreak of Ebola virus spread among several African countries, including Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. The virus first appeared in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) in the summer of 1976. Most outbreaks have been small but the virus captured the attention of world due to death rates that can be as high as 90% as well as the visceral manner in which it kills. This mysterious disease was first described in two separate 1976 outbreak: Frist in Southern Sudan and subsequently in Northern Zaire, now  Democratic Republic of Congo. A causative agent was isolated from patient in both epidemics and named Ebola virus after a small river in Northwestern Zaire (CDC, 2010; Johnson and Breman, 1978).

One of the reason that Ebola is so dangerous is that its symptoms are varied and appear quickly, yet resemble those of other viruses so much that the hemorrhagic fever is not rapidly diagnosed. Generally, the abrupt onset of symptoms follows an incubation period of 2-21 days and is characterized by high fever, usually higher than 38^oC. Subsequent signs of infection indicate multisystem involvement and include gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), respiratory (chest pain, cough) and neurological (headache) manifestations. The unfortunate thing is about these symptoms is that they are easily mistaken for malaria, typhoid fever, dysentery, influenza or various bacterial infections, all of which are far more common in regions where Ebola is prevalent, but also less fatal. After these initial symptoms, the fever often progresses to cause more serious ones: bleeding from the mucous membrane results in vomiting blood, coughing blood or the presence of blood in stool. Bleeding into the whites of the eyes may also occur internal and external hemorrhage from orifices, such as the nose, mouth and anus, also occur. As the virus progresses, bleeding in the brain can lead to severe depression (CDC, 2010).

The span of time from onset of symptoms to death is usually between 6 and 16 days. By the second week of the infection, the patient will either experience a full recovery or undergo systematic multi-organ failure. Mortality rates are generally high, ranging from 50-90% depending on the specific strain. The cause of each is normally due to low blood pressure from fluid loss or organ failure. In general, bleeding often indicates a worse outcome and this blood loss may result in death.