Ebola in US: Ebola patient was earlier sent home due to hospital miscommunication

The US CDC Tuesday confirmed a patient travelling from Liberia in Texas to be diagnosed with Ebola. The patient, whose identity and nationality has not been revealed yet, is the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. According to reports, the patient initially told a nurse he had travelled in Africa but was sent home anyway, which raises concerns about US preparedness for the spread of the deadly virus.

An official from the hospital mentioned that there was a miscommunication among hospital staff and therefore the patient was sent home. However, after leaving the hospital man came in contact with open community four days, and he even came in contact with schoolchildren before he was finally isolated in a hospital, officials said Wednesday. ‘I know that parents are being extremely concerned about that development,’ said Texas Governor Rick Perry.

‘These children have been identified and they are being monitored and the disease cannot be transmitted before having any symptoms.’  He arrived in Texas on September 20 and did not exhibit symptoms until September 24, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Tom Frieden said Tuesday. He sought medical care on the 26th, but was sent home because the medical team ‘felt clinically it was a low-grade common viral disease,’ said Mark Lester, executive vice president of Texas Health Resources.

‘He volunteered that he had travelled from Africa in response to the nurse operating the checklist and asking that question,’ Lester added. ‘Regretfully, that information was not fully communicated throughout the full team.’  He was returned via ambulance to the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas on September 28, and was placed in strict isolation.

The patient is currently in serious but stable condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. The incubation period for Ebola is between two and 21 days. Patients are not contagious until they start to show signs of fever, aches, vomiting and diarrhea. As US officials scrambled to track down people the man encountered while sick, the worldwide death toll from Ebola jumped higher, to 3,338 dead and 7,178 infected since the beginning of the year, the World Health Organization said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations announced its first suspected victim of Ebola, a Liberian man who worked for the UN mission in Liberia and died of a probable but unconfirmed Ebola infection last week. In response to the fast-moving outbreak, the World Bank boosted its aid to the campaign by adding 170 million toward expanding the health-care workforce and buying needed supplies for care and treatment.

Here are some preventive measures for people who cannot avoid traveling.

• If you’re taking medication for any infectious diseases and if you’re currently suffering from viral flu, you should avoid traveling before complete recovery. When you’re suffering from an infection, your immunity weakens. This could be a good opportunity for the virus to attack you.


• Older people, young peers and pregnant women should not travel at all. They have a high risk of acquiring infection.


• Those who are traveling should be extra careful about their diet. Eat a balanced diet. Avoid junk food and under-cooked food, especially meat.

Following precautionary measures for travelers.

• In any case, avoid handling items that you suspect have been contaminated, especially blood or body fluids.


• Avoid contact with other people and avoid visiting hospitals where treatment for Ebola is being given. Read more about Ebola Virus Travel Tips — Precautions you should take

With inputs from PTI

Photo source: Getty images

You may also like to read:

• Ebola in Liberia: US deploys 700 soldiers to combat Ebola


• Latest Ebola News: Death toll in Congo reaches 42


• Latest Ebola Treatment: Hospital in Thailand claims to have found Ebola cure

For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And for health-related queries, visit our Questions and Answers section.

Read More

Ebola in Liberia: US deploys 700 soldiers to combat Ebola

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has authorised the deployment of 700 soldiers to Liberia to help with the fight against the Ebola epidemic there, the Defence Department said in a statement Wednesday.

The troops will be deployed in late October to supervise the construction of Ebola treatment units, conduct site surveys and provide engineering expertise in an area with a range of infrastructure repair needs, Xinhua reported. 

Last week, 15 construction-specialty sailors from the US Army arrived in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, to offer engineering support to the Operation United Assistance, conducting site surveys for future hospitals, and supply storage and training facilities for health care workers.

The deployments are part of a whole-of-government response to the Ebola outbreak, according to the statement. About 195 Defence Department personnel are now in west Africa, and over the last weekend the equipment for a 25-bed hospital and two mobile labs arrived in Monrovia.

The hospital will be in operation around mid-October, the statement said, adding that US military personnel are not and will not be providing direct care to Ebola patients.

Educate yourself about Ebola: Knowing the symptoms, modes of transmission and preventive measures is the first step to prevent the spread of the disease. This information is especially important for those who are travelling to and from affected areas in West Africa.   (Read: Has the Ebola virus really come to India?) 

Maintain sanitary conditions: Basic hygiene plays a very important role in preventing Ebola. The exact way by which the virus enters the body is still debatable but skin and eyes are suggested routes for viral entry. However, food and water may also serve as source of entry. So, simple acts like washing hands before eating and disinfecting surfaces and covering the mouth can help prevent the spread of the virus, especially in areas surrounding the areas of outbreak.   (Read: Ebola Facts: Top 7 myths busted)

Avoid contact with blood and body fluids:  Ebola virus spreads through all body fluids including blood, semen, saliva, sweat, urine, fecal matter and vomit of infected individuals. Healthcare workers and medical staff who are more likely to come in contact with infected body fluids, infected needles and first aid, should handle them with protective gear. (Read: 5 reasons the ebola virus should never come to India)

With inputs from IANS

Photo source: Getty images

You may also like to read:

• Latest Ebola News: First Ebola positive case confirmed in US


• Latest Ebola Treatment: Will the French nurse with Ebola get cured with Japanese drug Avigan?


• Latest Ebola Treatment: Hospital in Thailand claims to have found Ebola cure

For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And for health-related queries, visit our Questions and Answers section.

 

Read More

Latest Ebola News: Death toll in Congo reaches 42

Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Minister of Public Health Felix Kabange confirmed Wednesday a total 42 people have lost their lives to Ebola virus disease in confirmed or suspected cases.

Out of 42, a total 30 cases were confirmed Ebola positive, out of which 16 died, two remain in isolation, and 12 are healed. Other deaths are suspected and probable cases, Xinhua reported citing the minister.

Kabange said that 243 people were being monitored among the 245 who had been in contact with Ebola patients. ‘The dead include eight health workers and three isolation cases, all in the Equateur province,’ he added. With the first case confirmed in mid-August, DRC is experiencing its seventh Ebola outbreak since 1976.

Here are a few reasons Ebola virus is deadly

It can kill within seven days: Unlike other viruses (like HIV) that can remain dormant in a person for years without causing the disease, Ebola violently multiplies until the viral particles are amplified to about 100 million viral particles in a droplet of blood. Further, without resting in a dormant stage the virus kills the host to find a new one. The fatality rate of the disease is 60 percent.

There is no vaccine or treatment available: What makes this virus deadly is the fact that researchers have not been able to find an effective treatment or preventive technique to combat the virus and the spread of the disease. The experimental drug Zmapp has shown promising results but the safety and efficacy of the drug are to be evaluated. So, as of now, neither do we have an effective form of therapy nor do we have a vaccine to prevent the disease. 

Attacks every part of the human body: Ebola only needs a host cell that can help it produce multiple copies of itself. What worsens the condition is the fact that the virus does not need a specific type of cell to multiply (unlike other deadly diseases). According to studies, except for skeletal muscles and bones, the virus is known to infect every part of the human body. Connective tissues, the ones that hold your internal organs in place, are primary targets of the virus.

With inputs from IANS

Photo source: Getty images

You may also like to read:

• Latest Ebola News: First Ebola positive case confirmed in US


• Latest Ebola Treatment: Will the French nurse with Ebola get cured with Japanese drug Avigan?


• Latest Ebola Treatment: Hospital in Thailand claims to have found Ebola cure

For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And for health-related queries, visit our Questions and Answers section.

 

Read More

Ebola in US: First Ebola positive case diagnosed in Texas

Despite all the efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the deadly Ebola virus is spreading rapidly and has now gained entry into the United States. US health authorities Tuesday confirmed the nation’s first Ebola positive case in Dallas, Texas.

The patient had come from Liberia to visit his family, earlier this month, reported Xinhua. Reportedly, he showed no symptoms of Ebola while leaving West Africa. However, four days after her reached US on September 20, he began to develop Ebola symptoms, confirmed Tom Frieden, director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The patient had been isolated on Sunday in a hospital in Texas. His blood samples were sent to a CDC laboratory and the results turned out to be positive on Tuesday.

Frieden noted the possibility of more Ebola cases in US, as those who came in contact with the patient including his family members and friends are at a greater risk. However, Frieden confidently said that the outbreak won’t spread beyond that. ‘There is no doubt, in my mind, that we will stop it here. I have no doubt that we will control… this case of Ebola so it does not spread widely in this country,’ Frieden said.

The US health authorities will be identifying people who might have come in contact with the patient. To ensure that it is controlled, US President Barack Obama and Frieden have discussed implementation of ‘stringent isolation protocols’ to mitigate the risk of additional cases.

According to the statement from White House, CDC was earlier well prepared for an Ebola case in the country, and that they have all infrastructure in place to respond safely to any such case effectively.

Earlier, there have been five Ebola patients in US hospitals but they acquired the infection in West Africa and were then brought home for treatment.

Here are a few reasons Ebola virus is deadly

It can kill within seven days: Unlike other viruses (like HIV) that can remain dormant in a person for years without causing the disease, Ebola violently multiplies until the viral particles are amplified to about 100 million viral particles in a droplet of blood. Further, without resting in a dormant stage the virus kills the host to find a new one. The fatality rate of the disease is 60 percent.

There is no vaccine or treatment available: What makes this virus deadly is the fact that researchers have not been able to find an effective treatment or preventive technique to combat the virus and the spread of the disease. The experimental drug Zmapp has shown promising results but the safety and efficacy of the drug are to be evaluated. So, as of now, neither do we have an effective form of therapy nor do we have a vaccine to prevent the disease. 

Attacks every part of the human body: Ebola only needs a host cell that can help it produce multiple copies of itself. What worsens the condition is the fact that the virus does not need a specific type of cell to multiply (unlike other deadly diseases). According to studies, except for skeletal muscles and bones, the virus is known to infect every part of the human body. Connective tissues, the ones that hold your internal organs in place, are primary targets of the virus.

Image source: Getty images

With inputs from IANS

You may also like to read:

• Latest Ebola News: Sierra Leone minister and UN chief discuss Ebola crisis


• Latest Ebola News: More than 2,000 Germans registered as volunteers to fight Ebola


• Latest Ebola News: Fifth American returns home with Ebola, being treated at NIH

For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And for health-related queries, visit our Questions and Answers section.

Read More

Latest Ebola News: Third American doctor infected with Ebola cured and released

Third American doctor Rick Sacra, who was infected with Ebola, has been discharged from the Nebraska Medical Centre, where he was receiving treatment for the disease for more than three weeks. ‘It was very gratifying for the entire team that treated Dr. Sacra to see him walk out the doors healthy again,’ Phil Smith, medical director of the biocontainment unit at the Nebraska Medical Centre, said during a press conference in Omaha Thursday.

Sacra, 51, was discharged after successive blood tests showed he was free of the virus. The physician’s release came on the same day as the announcement of the death of Spanish missionary Manuel Garcia Viejo, who became infected with Ebola in Sierra Leone and was taken to Madrid for medical treatment. The World Health Organization Thursday raised to 2,917 its tally of the number of deaths from the virus in West Africa, where 6,263 cases have been registered.

‘I am so grateful. Just so incredibly grateful to have gotten through this illness!,’ Sacra said Thursday. ‘Thanks to God and to the team here at the Nebraska Medical Centre!’ This week, the medical centre announced that Sacra was being treated with the experimental medication TKM-Ebola. Sacra also received a blood transfusion from Kent Brantly, the first US doctor with Ebola treated in the US and who also recovered from the illness.

Brantly and nurse Nancy Writebol were treated at the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Another American, whose identity has not been made public, was transferred three weeks ago to Emory Hospital to receive treatment after being infected with the Ebola virus.

Here are some common myths regarding Ebola.

Myth #1: Ebola is not real

Fact: Ebola is real and is caused due to a virus.

 The virus is thought to have been spread from animals to man and is capable of being contagious even before any symptoms are seen. Having killed over 700 people, the Ebola virus is known to be fatal 90% of the times. This apathy was highlighted in a news report by NEWSY, where Dr Sanjay Gupta said in an interview with CNN that people in Africa have a severe lack of knowledge regarding the virus and how it spreads. They touch the bodies of people who have died due to the infection, and  get infected. This then spreads to people around them. Apart from that in a startling revelation, one person interviewed in Africa said that he did not believe that Ebola was real, while eating a piece of bush meat. As the disease continues killing, it is this belief that only makes the situation worse. 

Myth #2: Ebola can only spread through blood

Fact: Ebola can spread through all body fluids including blood, sweat, semen, saliva and any other discharge.

This is mainly because of the way the virus attacks the body. Apart from affecting a person’s immune system, Ebola multiplies extremely fast and soon spreads throughout a person’s body. It then systematically infects all systems of the human body – barring the nervous system. This leads to bleeding and breakdown of all the defense mechanisms of the body. The infection becomes so severe that at a given time there can be up to 1000 viral cells in one drop of body fluid (especially blood). Read more about Ebola Facts: Top 7 myths busted

With inputs from IANS

Photo source: Getty images

You may also like to read:

• Ebola in Sierra Leone: 3 more districts isolated, one million quarantined


• Latest Ebola News: Stopping Ebola should be the world’s priority, says Obama


• Latest Ebola News: South Africa seeks $24 million for Ebola Response Fund

For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And for health-related queries, visit our Questions and Answers section.

Read More

Latest Ebola News: Ebola epidemic set to explode, warns WHO

The Ebola epidemic is set to explode unless the response is radically intensified, the WHO said today, warning that hundreds of thousands could be infected by the end of the year. The UN agency said in a report that new cases would surge from hundreds each week to thousands without ‘drastic improvements in control measures’, with the number of infections set to more than triple to 20,000 by November.

‘We’ve rather modestly only extended the projections to November 2, but if you go to… January 2, you’re into hundreds of thousands,’ said Christopher Dye, the head of strategy at the World Health Organization and a co-author of the study. The research paper warns that the outbreak could drag out for years and become entrenched in west Africa, which has already seen almost 3,000 deaths.

The epidemic might simply ‘rumble on as it has for the last few months for the next few years,’ Dye said, adding that ‘the fear is that Ebola will become more or less a permanent feature of the human population’. Liberia, the hardest-hit nation, has seen 3,000 cases of Ebola and almost 1,600 deaths, with health workers turning people away from treatment units due to chronic shortages of beds and staff.

The country has some 150 foreign specialised medical workers on the ground but the UN has said they need at least 600, and health authorities are aiming to scale its current 400 Ebola beds up to around 2,000 within weeks. Its response has been bolstered by a US military mission, already being deployed, which will see 3,000 troops providing training and logistics. But Antonio Vigilante, UN deputy special representative for recovery and governance in Liberia, likened the struggle to ‘trying to remedy an earthquake when it is happening’. Liberia said today the slow international response risked allowing the country to slide back into civil war alongside neighbouring Sierra Leone, and could reignite civil unrest in Guinea.

‘The world cannot wait for Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to slip back into conflict, which could be the result of this slowness in response,’ Information Minister Lewis Brown told AFP late yesterday. Sierra Leone, where more than 1,800 have been infected and nearly 600 have died, reported ‘an overflow of bodies’ after a nationwide curfew helped uncover more than 200 new cases.

Here are some symptoms of Ebola Virus

Early symptoms of Ebola

Fever: Increase in body temperature is the first defence mechanism that the body uses to kill any foreign particle invading the body. When Ebola infects the body, it causes a release of various compounds like cytokines and histamines that pass on the signals of increasing body temperature. In fact, Ebola virus disease is also called the Ebola haemorrhagic fever, where the temperature can go above 38.6°C or 101.5°F.

Headache: It is the most common symptom of Ebola infection after fever, present in almost 96 percent of the cases. Nausea and headache along with fever present a typical case of common cold and flu. At this stage, the symptoms can be confused with other common infections.

Late symptoms of Ebola

Sore throat: This symptom may take some time to develop and may not occur in all people infected with the virus. It starts with a scratchy, dry or itchy feeling in the throat and can even end with lesions in the throat filled with the virus.

Jaundice: When the virus attacks the liver cells, it causes leakage of cell contents into the blood stream. Increased level of liver proteins in the blood may cause yellowing of skin and eyes or jaundice in  few cases.

Loss of appetite: Increased body temperature, weakness and attack on the intestinal endothelial cells all contribute to anorexia and loss of appetite as the virus multiplies rapidly inside the body. Read more about Ebola virus signs and symptoms you need to watch out for!

With inputs from PTI

Photo source: Getty images

You may also like to read:

• Ebola in Sierra Leone: Lockdown uncovers 130 new Ebola cases


• Ebola in West Africa: 1.4 million new cases to emerge by January, warns US CDC


• Ebola in West Africa: Ebola to infect more than 20,000 within next 5 weeks

For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And for health-related queries, visit our Questions and Answers section.

Read More