GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
DEADLY EBOLA DIAGNOSED IN TEXAS
EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN WEST AFRICA
SCENARIOS 797, 444, 333, 080, 011
.
Ebola outbreak devastating West Africa could spread globally
The first case of Ebola in the United States has been diagnosed in a person who had traveled to Dallas, Texas from Liberia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed.
The patient had no symptoms when leaving West Africa, but developed symptoms about four days after arriving in the U.S. on September 20, said CDC.
The person fell ill on Sept. 24 and sought medical care at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas on Sept. 26. After developing symptoms consistent with Ebola, he was admitted to hospital on Sept. 28. Based on the person’s travel history and symptoms, CDC recommended testing for Ebola. The laboratory test results confirmed Ebola infection.
“Ebola can be scary. But there’s all the difference in the world between the U.S. and parts of Africa where Ebola is spreading. The United States has a strong health care system and public health professionals who will make sure this case does not threaten our communities,” said CDC Director. “While it is not impossible that there could be additional cases associated with this patient in the coming weeks, I have no doubt that we will contain this.”
Symptoms of Ebola include
- Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
- Severe headache
- Muscle pain
- Weakness
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)
Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.
Recovery from Ebola depends on the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years. [Source: CDC]
Global Health Emergency
WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern,’ under the International Health Regulations on August 8, 2014.
Related Links
- Ebola: 1.4 Million Cases by January 20, 2015? September 24, 2014
- Ebola Outbreak Declared Global Health Emergency August 8, 2014
- Ebola Outbreak: Public Health Emergency Declared in Sierra Leone July 31, 2014
- EBOLA Epidemic Spreading in West Africa June 19, 2014