Patient education: Ebola (The Basics)

What is Ebola? — 

This is an infection that causes fever, body aches, diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding. It is a very serious infection and often leads to death. It is caused by a virus.

There have been outbreaks of Ebola in Central, West, and East Africa.

For the most current information about Ebola outbreaks, and how to protect yourself and others from infection, see these websites:

●US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"): www.cdc.gov/ebola/about/index.html

●World Health Organization ("WHO"): www.who.int/health-topics/ebola

What are the symptoms of Ebola? — 

At first, the symptoms are like those of the flu, but they can get much worse. The infection can lead to death.

Symptoms typically start 2 to 21 days after exposure. At first, the symptoms might include:

●Sudden fever, chills, and feeling sick

●Weakness

●Loss of appetite

●Severe headache

●Body and back aches

A few days later, other symptoms can develop, including:

●Watery diarrhea

●Nausea and vomiting

●Belly pain

●Rash

●Bleeding or bruising – This doesn't happen to everyone. If it does, bleeding can show up as:

•Tiny purple spots (where blood vessels have burst)

•Bloody diarrhea or bowel movements

•Oozing blood from the mouth, nose, eyes, or anywhere the skin has been broken

Even if a person recovers from Ebola, they might still have problems. These can include joint pain, eye problems, hearing loss, headache, or tiredness. In some people, these problems are severe. They can last months or even years.

How is Ebola spread? — 

You can get Ebola in several different ways. These include:

●You are in direct contact with someone who has Ebola. "Direct contact" means you touched body fluids from an infected person (alive or dead) and then touched your eyes, nose, or mouth or an open cut, wound, or scrape. Examples of body fluids include blood, saliva, mucus, vomit, urine, and diarrhea.

●You have direct contact with objects that have the virus on them, such as medical equipment.

●You have direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an animal that has Ebola. It is also possible to get infected by eating undercooked meat from an infected animal.

●It might be possible to get Ebola by having oral, anal, or vaginal sex with a person who had the disease. The virus can stay in semen, and maybe vaginal fluids, for a while.

●It is possible for a mother who survived Ebola to pass it on to her baby through breastfeeding.

Ebola is not spread through the air.

The Ebola virus can survive on dry surfaces, such as doorknobs and countertops, for several hours. When it is in body fluids (such as blood), the virus can survive up to several days at room temperature. The virus is killed with hospital-grade disinfectants or household bleach.

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — 

If in the last 21 days, you think you were exposed to Ebola, or were in an area where many people are sick with Ebola, tell your doctor or a public health official. They can tell you what to do next. For an updated list of places affected by Ebola, see the CDC website: www.cdc.gov/ebola/about/index.html.

If you do not have symptoms, you will probably need to:

●Check your temperature every day for 21 days after your last exposure.

●Check yourself for any of the Ebola symptoms listed above for 21 days after your last exposure.

If you think you have a fever, or any symptoms of Ebola, call your doctor, nurse, or your state or country health department right away. They will give you instructions.

In general:

●If you are very sick, and need to go to the hospital right away, tell the ambulance and hospital staff as soon as possible you might have Ebola. That way, the health care workers taking care of you can protect themselves and others from infection.

●If you are seen for a possible Ebola infection, a doctor or nurse will do an exam and ask about your symptoms. They will also ask where you live, where you have traveled, and what type of contact you had with people (or animals) that might be sick.

Is there a test for Ebola? — 

Yes. Blood or other body fluids can be tested for the virus.

How is Ebola treated? — 

Most people with Ebola are treated in the hospital, possibly in the intensive care unit ("ICU"). The doctors and nurses in the hospital can help support your body while it fights the infection, and make you as comfortable as possible. You might need to get fluids through a tube that goes into a vein, called an "IV." You might also need medicines to help support your blood pressure or treatments to help your blood clot properly. Some people might get a treatment that has been found to help fight certain strains of the virus.

Can Ebola be prevented? — 

A vaccine to prevent 1 strain of Ebola is available. It is only recommended for certain people who have been exposed to Ebola or are at risk of being exposed.

You can also lower your chances of getting Ebola by staying away from people who have Ebola, as well as people who had contact with anyone with Ebola:

●The virus can spread between people who have close contact with each other. The virus travels in body fluids, so any kind of contact with body fluids is risky.

●It might also be possible to get Ebola by having sex with a person who had the disease in the past. Because of this, experts say the safest thing is to avoid having sex with anyone who had Ebola until the doctor says it is safe. This includes oral, anal, and vaginal sex. If you do choose to have sex before that, always use a condom to protect yourself.

●If you must be around people who are sick with Ebola, contact your doctor, nurse, or local health officials to find out how to protect yourself. Even if you had the vaccine, you need to wash your hands with soap and water often. You also need to wear gloves, a mask, a gown, and lots of other protective gear. Make sure you know exactly how to wear the protective gear and take it off. Your local health officials can teach you. Do not try to do this on your own without help from an expert.

●The bodies of people who died from Ebola must also be handled using protective gear. They must be buried or burned as soon as possible. Let specially trained people bury the bodies of those who died (or might have died) from Ebola.

●If you are in areas where Ebola is present, avoid contact with bats, monkeys, and non-human primates (such as chimpanzees or gorillas). Also, avoid blood, fluids, or raw meat from these animals. They can spread Ebola to people.

More on this topic

Patient education: Staying healthy when you travel (The Basics)
Patient education: Isolation precautions (The Basics)

Patient education: General travel advice (Beyond the Basics)