Ebola virus disease (also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) is a rare and deadly disease. The disease is native to several African countries and is caused by infection with one of the ebola viruses (Ebola, Sudan, Bundibugyo, or Taï Forest virus).
It is spread by direct contact with a sick person’s blood or body fluids. It is also spread by contact with contaminated objects or infected animals.
Symptoms include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Skin rash, red eyes, and internal and external bleeding may be seen in some patients.There is no vaccine or specific treatment for Ebola, and many people who get the disease die.
Alert Level 3 - CDC urges all US residents to avoid nonessential travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia because of an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola.
The two Americans with with Ebola arrived in Atlanta, GA a few days ago, the two patients are said to be improving, but that has not stopped the growing concerns from the American public of the virus spreading. The CDC and staff at the hospital say it is perfectly safe and no chance of it escaping the hospital but they fail to think ahead enough to understand viruses mutate and change. Are they prepared? I highly doubt it.
There seems to be a growing fear that the virus may or could become airborne, if that happens we could be in real trouble. It seems the main stream news media keeps saying you can only catch it by direct contact with a sick person's blood or body fluids, but according to reports it can also be spread by contact with contaminated objects or infected animals. There does not seem to be a lot of clarity on what objects the virus could be on, but lets assume clothing, blankets, sheets...ect. but what about door knobs, hand railings, telephones...ect?
According to emedtv.com: In a primate research facility in Virginia, the spread of a subtype of the Ebola virus from monkey to monkey appeared to have occurred through the air.
All Ebola virus species have displayed the ability to be spread through airborne particles (aerosols), under research conditions; however, this type of spread has not been documented among humans in a real-world setting, such as a household or a hospital.
Ebola virus has a death rate of around 97 percent and those who actually get the virus rarely live past it. So should you be worried? Well, lets not panic just yet, but lets use caution. Make sure to monitor the news and keep up with current events with Ebola. If you are traveling into other countries check with the CDC to see if there are any outbreaks in that area. You could also wear protective mask and gloves as a precaution.
For more information please check the CDC website - http://www.cdc.gov/
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