EBOLA: Facts and precautionary measures.

As we all know, established cases of victims of the Ebola virus have been recorded in West African countries. While it is not our intention to scare you, it is essential that we are all informed about the virus, and exercise necessary precautions.

Facts:

·         Transmission to humans is thought to originate from infected bats or non-human pirates (monkeys, apes, chimpanzees, gorillas) that are infected by the virus.

·         Under cooked infected bat and primate (bush) meat transmits the virus to humans.

·         Human to human transmission is only achieved by physical contact with a person who is acutely and gravely ill from the Ebola virus or their body fluids.

·         Transmission among humans is almost exclusively among caregiver family members or health care workers tending to the very ill.

·         The virus is easily killed by contact with soap, bleach, sunlight, or drying.

·         A person can incubate the virus without symptoms for 2-21 days, the average being 5-8 days before becoming ill.

·         Only when ill does the viral load express itself first in the blood and then in other bodily fluids (to include vomit, feaces, urine, breast milk, semen and sweat).

·         You cannot contact Ebola by handling money, buying local bread or swimming in a pool.

Symptoms:

Sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat are typical signs and symptoms. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.

Prevention:

·         Avoid places where you can come in contact with bats, apes, monkeys, etc.

·         Practice good hand washing habit.

·         Listen to and follow directives issued by your country’s respective Ministry of Health.

·         If you suspect someone close to you or in your community of having Ebola virus disease, encourage and support them in seeking appropriate medical treatment in a hospital.

·         If you choose to care for an ill person in your home, notify public health officials of your intentions so they can train you and provide appropriate gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as instructions as a reminder on how to properly care for the patient, protect yourself and your family, and properly dispose of the PPE after use.

·         When visiting patients in the hospital or caring for someone at home, hand washing with soap and water is recommended after touching a patient, being in contact with their bodily fluids, or touching his/her surroundings.

·         People who have died from Ebola should only be handled using appropriate protective equipment and should be buried immediately.

·         Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before eating.

Udates on ebola

The residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, have become concerned after 2 possible cases of Ebola were identified in the state.

The news was disclosed on a radio programme by the state's Acting Epidemiologist, Dr. Yusuph Akeem who said the 2 persons were currently under surveillance.

He reportedly also said that the Ministry of Health had recorded all the vital information of the people involved who both work in Lagos where Liberian, Patrick Sawyer died after coming into the country with the disease.

The current Ebola outbreak has caused international concern after it was revealed that Mr. Sawyer, a naturalized American was planning to board a plane to the United States after his stay in Nigeria.

Some reassuring news on Ebola: 

US STATE DEPARTMENT EBOLA ALERT

In order to help our Embassy Community better understand some key points about Ebola virus we consulted with our medical specialists at the U S State Department & assembled this list below, worded in plain language for easy understanding. 

• The suspected reservoirs for Ebola are fruit bats. 

• Transmission to humans is thought to originate from infected bats or primates that have become infected by bats. Undercooked infected bat and primate (bush) meat transmits the virus to humans. 

• Human to human transmission is only achieved by physical contact with a person who is acutely and gravely ill from Ebola virus or their body fluids. • Transmission among humans is almost exclusively among caregiver family members or health care workers tending to the very ill. 

• The virus is easily killed by contact with soap, bleach, sunlight, or drying. A washing machine will kill the virus in clothing saturated with infected body fluids. 

• A person can incubate the virus without symptoms for 2-21 days, the average being 5-8 days before becoming ill. THEY ARE NOT CONTAGIOUS until they are acutely ill. 

• Only when ill does the viral load express itself first in the blood and other bodily fluids (e.g vomit, feaces, urine, breast milk, semen and sweat). 

• If you are walking around you are not infectious to others. • There are documented cases from Kikwit, DRC of an Ebola outbreak in a village that had the custom of children never touching an ill adult.Children living for days in one room huts with parents who died from Ebola did not become infected. 

• You cant contract Ebola by handling money or swimming in a pool. 

•There's no medical reason to stop flights, close borders, restrict travel or close embassies, businesses or schools. 

• Always practice good hand washing techniques, you will not contract Ebola if you do not touch a dying person.

US EMBASSY Pls share this information & try not to spread panic on social media.

Stay Safe