PREVENTION OF EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE-A REVIEW

D. Sunitha*, M. Nandakishora Chary, K. Hemalatha, Rahamat Unissa

ABSTRACT

Ebola virus is a fatal illness in humans and non primates. Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak began in Guinea in December of 2013, the outbreak now involves trans-mission in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. EVD or Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) is a zoonosis affecting both human and non-human primates (NHP). Ebola virus (formerly known as Zaire Ebola virus, or EBOV) was first seen infecting humans in African continent; especially Sudan, Zaire and nearby countries. Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that this is the largest EVD outbreak ever recorded. EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of upto 90%. EVD is caused by the sudden onset of weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, liver dysfunction, rashes and also internalexternal bleeding. As such no specific treatment foe EVD is available but a number of researches are going on. The research is on-going on development of making vaccine to curb this virus yet licensed success or specific treatment is not achieved.

Keywords: Ebola virus, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, EBOV, Outbreak of Ebola, EVD, prevention.