Ebola Virus Disease

Ebola Virus Disease (pronunciation: /iːˈboʊlə/), also known as EVD or simply Ebola, is a viral infectious disease most commonly affecting humans and other primates. The disease is caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genus Ebolavirus.

Etymology

The disease is named after the Ebola River, where the first recognized outbreak of the disease occurred. The river itself was named for the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, muscular pain, and headaches. This is usually followed by vomiting, diarrhea, and rash, along with decreased function of the liver and kidneys.

Transmission

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola. It can also be spread through contact with objects contaminated with the virus.

Prevention and Treatment

Prevention measures include decreasing wildlife-to-human transmission, avoiding direct contact with infected people, and proper burial of the dead. There is no proven treatment available for EVD. However, a range of potential treatments including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies are currently being evaluated.

See Also

• Virus
• Infectious disease
• Filoviridae
• Ebolavirus
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Muscular pain
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rash
• Liver
• Kidney

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