HEALTH ADVISORY (22 November 2014)

[Little Hussy]

BACKGROUND

Ebola Virus Disease, formerly known as Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever is a rare disease which causes severe, often fatal illness in humans. There have been several Ebola outbreaks in Africa since the disease first appeared in 1976. Currently there is an outbreak of the disease in West Africa, which was first reported in late March 2014. 

Ebola is transmitted by direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes (eyes, mouth) with blood or body fluids (e.g. vomit, diarrhoea stools) of infected persons, or by contact with objects contaminated by blood or body fluids (e.g. soiled bed sheets). Its incubation period (the time from infection to when symptoms develop) varies from 2 to 21 days. People with the infection become infectious only when they start to show symptoms, which include the sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, joint pain, headache and sore throat. This can be followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, stomach pain, red eyes, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases bleeding. There is no proven vaccine or anti-viral drug treatment for Ebola. Severely ill patients are treated with intensive supportive care.