Ebola is a deadly disease caused by a viral infection. This disease can cause organ damage and bleeding in the sufferer's body. Although the disease is rare outside endemic areas, the death rate for contracting this virus is very high.
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| Ebola, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Complications |
So far, no Ebola cases have been found in Indonesia. However, an attitude of vigilance and preventive measures against this disease that is endemic to the African continent still needs to be done. One way is to maintain cleanliness and adopt a healthy lifestyle every day.
Causes and Transmission of Ebola
Ebola is caused by the Ebolavirus group. This virus initially spread due to contact between humans and infected animals, such as bats, monkeys, gorillas, or chimpanzees. Furthermore, the Ebola virus spread between humans.
The Ebola virus can be spread through direct contact with the virus, for example through open sores on the skin, or through the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, mouth or rectum. Ways of transmission include through:
- Blood or body fluids from sufferers of Ebola virus disease, such as urine, saliva, sweat, faeces, vomit, breast milk, amniotic fluid, and semen
- Objects contaminated with the patient's body fluids, such as clothing, bedding, needles and medical equipment
- Semen from a man who has recovered from the Ebola virus
It should be noted that Ebola is not spread as easily as other diseases, such as colds, flu or measles. The Ebola virus is also not transmitted through the air or through mosquito bites.
Several factors can put a person at risk of contracting the Ebola virus, namely:
- Travel to a country that has cases of Ebola, such as Sudan, Congo, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone
- Working as a medical worker, especially if not wearing protective clothing when treating Ebola patients
- Working as an animal researcher, especially on primates imported from Africa
- Caring for sufferers or living at home with sufferers of the Ebola virus
- Organizing funerals for Ebola victims
Ebola symptoms
The initial symptoms of Ebola are fever, headache, sore throat, muscle and joint pain, and feeling weak. These early symptoms appear within 2-21 days after contact with sufferers.
Over time, the symptoms you will experience will get worse, including:
- Chest pain and cough
- Nausea and vomiting
- Red eye
- Stomach ache
- bruises
- Skin redness
- Diarrhea, which can be accompanied by blood
- Weight loss drastically
- Bleeding in the mouth, nose, eyes or ears
When to see a doctor
The Ebola virus is highly contagious and deadly. If you are in an area where there are many cases of the Ebola virus and experience the complaints mentioned above, immediately visit a doctor at the nearest hospital to undergo an examination and get treatment.
Ebola diagnosis
Ebola is a disease that is difficult to detect, because its symptoms are similar to other infectious diseases, such as flu, malaria or typhus. In fact, Ebola is often not diagnosed until symptoms have progressed to an advanced stage, such as causing bleeding into the liver or kidneys.
To diagnose Ebola, the doctor will do a blood test. The purpose of the blood test is to detect antibodies that the body forms in response to the Ebola virus. Blood tests also aim to see body functions that are disrupted by Ebola.
Types of blood tests performed include:
- Blood cell count
- Liver function test
- Blood clotting function test
If suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus, the patient will undergo intensive care in a hospital isolation room to prevent the spread of the virus.
Ebola treatment
For several years since Ebola was discovered, the only way to deal with this disease was to control the symptoms, until the patient's immune system managed to fight off the virus. However, drugs and vaccines have now been found to treat and prevent the Ebola virus.
In 2020, drugs that can be used to treat Ebola, namely Inmazeb and Ebanga, have been formalized. Both drugs use monoclonal antibodies in treating the infection. Monoclonal antibodies are artificial proteins specifically designed to target specific infectious agents.
In addition, there are several supporting treatments that can be done, namely:
- Fluid infusion to prevent dehydration
- High blood pressure medication to lower blood pressure
- Additional oxygen to maintain oxygen flow throughout the body
- Administering antibiotics, if other infections are found developing in the patient's body
- Blood transfusion, if there is a lack of blood (anemia)
Ebola sufferers will undergo a recovery period of several months until the virus is gone. During the recovery period, sufferers may experience:
- Hair loss
- Jaundice
- Nervous disorder
- Excessive fatigue
- Inflammation of the eye and testes
The patient's recovery will depend on the body's endurance, the speed at which treatment is carried out, and the response to treatment. A person who has recovered from Ebola will be immune to this virus for about 10 years, and he will no longer be able to transmit the Ebola virus.
It should be noted that men who recover from Ebola generally remain carrying the virus for the next 3–9 months. Therefore, he will be advised to use a condom every time he has sex for the next 12 months. It is also possible not to have sex until his semen has tested negative 2 times.
Ebola complications
Each sufferer has a different immune system response to the Ebola virus. Some sufferers can recover from Ebola without complications, but some can experience life-threatening conditions, such as:
- Damage to the function of the body's organs
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Heavy bleeding
- Disturbance of consciousness
- seizures
- Shock
- Coma
Ebola prevention
One way to prevent the Ebola virus is with the Ervebo vaccine. However, this vaccine can only work on the Zaire Ebola virus type. Therefore, the best way to prevent this disease is not to travel to areas where Ebola is common.
However, if you plan to travel to an area where there are many Ebola cases, there are several steps you can take, namely:
- Keep your hands clean by washing your hands with water and soap or using an alcohol-based hand rub
- Avoid direct contact with people who have a fever and are suspected of having Ebola symptoms
- Avoid touching objects that have been contaminated with blood or body fluids of Ebola sufferers
- Avoid direct contact with bats and primates that have the potential to transmit the virus, including their blood, feces and flesh
- Avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are receiving treatment
- Immediately consult a doctor after returning from the area, to detect possible Ebola symptoms
Especially for medical workers, there are several preventive steps that can be taken to minimize the risk of transmitting the Ebola virus, namely:
- Use personal protective equipment, including protective clothing (apron), mask, gloves and eye protection, when you are near an Ebola patient.
- Be careful when taking blood or body fluid samples, and placing IVs or catheters in Ebola patients.
- Wash hands regularly, especially after touching the patient or objects around the patient.
- Re-sterilize medical equipment that has been used by patients.
- Throw away disposable medical equipment, such as syringes, immediately in the designated area.
- Avoid direct contact with bodies of Ebola sufferers.
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