The Ebola virus, member of the Filoviridae family, is an Ebola hemorrhagic fever — a disease that is often fatal for people and mammals. In many types of this virus the death rate goes up to 90%.
Ebola is the deadliest virus on the planet, and people should be more than worried about the ebola epidemy in Africa, which could soon spread to the whole world. The fear of ebola outbreak made the WHO approve the use of the experimental drug, TKM-Ebola.
However, scientists still can not answer the question about its possible consequences on the health. Scientists mentioned the possibility of an effective compulsory vaccination, but it is still in the testing phase.
How Does Ebola Spread?
The virus and the disease are named after the river Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the disease was first noticed in 1976. The Ebola virus is most commonly spread through a direct contact with an infected person, or more precisely, their excretions.
Ebola is not an airborne virus, but it was confirmed that it can be transmitted through small drops which can be eventually inhaled. It is characterized by capillary fragility and destruction of the platelets, important for the blood clotting, which leads to bleeding, that later results in severe shock and death.
The first symptoms that appear in the majority of patients include high fever, headache, muscle pain, stomach ache, fatigue and diarrhea. Some patients may show signs of sore throat, skin rashes, red and itchy eyes, vomiting blood and blindness.