Ebola fact sheet

1. JAMA PATIENT PAGE | Infectious Disease
Ebola Virus Disease
Ebola virus disease is a rare disease caused by the Ebola virus.
In some people, Ebola virus causes symptoms similar to influenza
virus, such as fevers, headache, muscle pains, vomiting, or
diarrhea. In other people, it causes severe illness with bruising,
bleeding, and failure of many organs in the body, eventually lead-ing
Facts About Ebola
Copyright 2014 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
to death.
HowIs Ebola Spread?
The Ebola virus was initially spread to humans through contact
with animals such as monkeys, chimpanzees, and bats. In some
cases, the Ebola virus can be spread from person to person through
direct contact. This can happen when certain body fluids (such as
blood, urine, stool, saliva, or vomit) of someone who has Ebola
virus disease come into contact with the broken skin, the eyes, or
the mouth of someone who is not infected. Spread through sexual
contact is also possible.
2014 Outbreak inWest Africa
The current 2014 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa is
the largest outbreak of the disease in history. As of October 2, 2014,
there have been more than 3000 deaths from the disease. Cur-rently,
the mortality rate of Ebola virus disease is estimated to be
about50%,meaning about half of infected patients recover and the
other half die of the disease. Aside from supportive care in the hos-pital
(such as giving fluids and nutrition to patients when needed),
there is no specific treatment for Ebola virus disease. No vaccine is
currently available.
The countries most affected by the current Ebola virus disease
outbreak are Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Nigeria, all inWest
Africa.Amajor reasonwhy the outbreak isworse than previous ones
in Central Africa is because this outbreak has involved more urban
areas. Also, many infected patients are cared for in hospitals or at
homeby health careworkerswhodo not have access to proper pro-tective
equipment such as gloves, gowns, and eye goggles. In addi-tion,
the African ritual of washing deceased bodies at funerals in
preparation for burial increases the amount of direct contact with
Ebola victims, which increases the chance of family members be-coming
infected.
Should You Be Concerned?
The risk of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is very low. Cur-rently,
theUSCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rec-ommends
avoiding travel to the affected countries inWest Africa.
Travel to other countries in Africa has not been restricted. In
general, the riskamongtravelers ofgettingEbola virus disease is very
lowunless they are spendingtime inside a hospitalhavingdirect con-tact
with infected patients.
The CDC has been working closely with US Customs and
Border Protection, airlines, and cargo ships to help ensure that
the chance of Ebola virus being brought into the United States is
very low. According to the CDC, the current outbreak does not
pose a major risk to the United States. For the latest updates on
the current Ebola virus disease outbreak, visit the CDC website
below.
You can’t get Ebola
through water
You can’t get Ebola
through air
You can’t get Ebola
through food
You can only get Ebola from:
l Touching the blood or body
fluids of a person who is sick
with or has died from Ebola.
l Touching contaminated
objects, like needles.
l Touching infected animals,
their blood or other body
fluids, or their meat.
Ebola poses no significant risk
to the United States.
Adapted from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention infographic.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola
To find this and previous JAMA Patient Pages, go to the Patient
Page link on JAMA’s website at jama.com. Many are available in
English and Spanish.
Author: Jill Jin, MD, MPH
Published Online: October 6, 2014. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.13759.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The JAMA Patient Page is a public service of JAMA. The information and
recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they
are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your
personal medical condition, JAMA suggests that you consult your physician. This page
may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care
professionals to share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, call 312/464-0776.
jama.com JAMA Published online October 6, 2014 E1
Downloaded From: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/ by a Bird Library/OUHSC User on 10/07/2014