Ebola Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Ebola is a disease that affects humans, monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas and other primates caused by the Ebola virus. This virus was first discovered in a rural area in Congo, Africa and threatens the lives of sufferers.
Ebola disease was initially transmitted from primate animals to humans with bats as the intermediary. After the Ebola outbreak occurred in Africa, the spread of the Ebola virus also occurred from one person to another.
Not everyone is at risk of experiencing Ebola. People who are at risk of experiencing Ebola are people who travel to the African continent during an Ebola outbreak and medical personnel or families who treat Ebola sufferers.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Ebola occur within 14-21 days after infection, in the form of high fever, headache, sore throat, joint pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.
After having these symptoms for several days, bleeding started to occur in various places (eyes, ears, nose, or bleeding in internal organs), seizures, decreased consciousness, and shock.
Diagnosis
To ensure that someone really has Ebola, it is necessary to carry out laboratory tests in the form of Enzyme-Linked Immunoabsorbent Assay (ELISA), IgM ELISA, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the presence of the Ebola virus.
This examination is a quick test in detecting the amount of antibodies or antigens that can fight the arrival of the virus.
Treatment
Until now, the treatment to kill the Ebola virus in the human body is still being researched.
Existing Ebola treatment aims to save the sufferer’s life, namely by doing the following:
1. Ebola sufferers are treated in the intensive care unit
2. Administration of intravenous fluids and electrolytes to prevent and treat infection
3. Administration of oxygen
4. If there is bleeding, do a blood transfusion
However, even if the four things above are done, up to now 90% of Ebola sufferers have died. Patients who survive also generally experience long-term complications in the form of disturbances in the liver, decreased vision, and infection in the testicles.
Prevention
To avoid contracting Ebola, the most important precaution is not to travel to areas of Africa during an Ebola outbreak.