Ebola virus disease: an overview

Ebola virus disease is a serious illness that originated in Africa, where there is
currently an outbreak. But for people living in countries outside Africa, it continues
to be a very low threat.
The current outbreak of the Ebola virus mainly affects three countries in West Africa:
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Around 14,413 cases and 5,177 deaths have been
reported by the World Health Organization. This is the largest known outbreak of
Ebola.

Experts studying the virus believe it is highly unlikely the disease would spread
within the UK even if it arrived here. To understand why, read Why is the risk low for
people in the UK?
What are the symptoms, and what should I do if I think I'm infected?

A person infected with Ebola virus will typically develop a fever, headache, joint and
muscle pain, a sore throat, and intense muscle weakness.
These symptoms start suddenly, between two and 21 days after becoming infected.
If you feel unwell with the above symptoms within 21 days of coming back from
Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone, you should stay at home and immediately
telephone 111 or 999 and explain that you have recently visited West Africa.
These services will provide advice and arrange for you to be seen in a hospital if
necessary so the cause of your illness can be determined.
It's really important that medical services are expecting your arrival and calling 111
or 999 will ensure this happens.
Read more about the symptoms of Ebola virus disease.
How does Ebola spread among people?

People can become infected with the Ebola virus if they come into contact with the
blood, body fluids or organs of an infected person.
Most people are infected by giving care to other infected people, either by directly
touching the victim's body or by cleaning up body fluids (stools, urine or vomit) that
carry infectious blood.
Read more information about how Ebola spreads, and how the outbreak started.
Who is at risk, and how can we prevent its spread?

Anyone who cares for an infected person or handles their blood or fluid samples is
at risk of becoming infected. Hospital workers, laboratory workers and family
members are at greatest risk.
Strict infection control procedures and wearing protective clothing minimises this
risk see preventing the spread of Ebola virus for more information. Simply washing
hands with soap and water can destroy the virus.
How is Ebola virus disease treated?

There's currently no licensed treatment or vaccine for Ebola virus disease, although
potential new vaccines and drug therapies are being developed and tested.
Patients diagnosed with Ebola virus disease are placed in isolation in intensive care,
where their blood oxygen levels and blood pressure are maintained at the right level
and their body organs supported. Read more information about how Ebola virus
disease is treated.
Healthcare workers need to avoid contact with the bodily fluids of their infected
patients by taking strict precautions.
ZMapp is an experimental treatment that can be tried, although it has not yet been
tested in humans for safety or effectiveness. The product is a combination of three
different antibodies that bind to the protein of the Ebola virus. Read more about
ZMapp.

How is it diagnosed?

It's difficult to know if a patient is infected with Ebola virus in the early stages as
symptoms such as fever, headache and muscle pain are similar to those of many
other diseases.
But specialist infection clinicians will make expert judgements on what the most
likely diagnosis is, based on the patients history.
Read our page on diagnosing Ebola virus disease for more information.
Why is the risk low for people in the UK?

The likelihood of catching Ebola virus disease is considered very low unless you've
travelled to a known infected area and had direct contact with a person with Ebolalike symptoms, or had contact with an infected animal or contaminated objects.
Not easily transmitted

While it is possible people infected with Ebola could arrive in the UK on a plane, the
virus is not as easily transmitted as a respiratory virus such as influenza.
Only infectious when symptoms start

People infected with Ebola do not become infectious until they have developed
symptoms, such as a fever. The disease then progresses very rapidly. This means
infectious people do not walk around spreading the disease for a long period.
It typically takes five to seven days for symptoms to develop after infection, so
there is time to identify people who may have been exposed, put them under
surveillance and, if they show symptoms, quarantine them.
Effective infection control procedures

In past outbreaks, infection control measures have been very effective in containing
Ebola within the immediate area. The UK has a robust public health system with the
trained staff and facilities necessary to contain cases of Ebola.
Training and awareness

Public Health England has advised frontline medical practitioners to be alert to

Ebola in those returning from affected areas.
Advice has been issued to the Border Force to identify possible cases of Ebola (read
FAQS on screening for Ebola at UK airports) and there are procedures in place to
provide care to the patient and to minimise public health risk to others.
Flight crew are trained to respond swiftly to any passengers who develop symptoms
during a flight from Africa. They will take measures to reduce transmission on board
the plane. But this event is very unlikely, and so far there have been no
documented cases of people catching the disease simply by being in the same
plane as an Ebola victim.

Ebola i believe is a WHO moneyspinner in my honest opinion.

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ombos said on 15 October 2014
The most worrying aspect is that even health professional using the US protocols
and safe guards have caught this. Not very reassuring is it. And as per the BBC
news tonight they don't know how its spread to the nurses? If this comes to the UK
via a normal person (not one that has been working with infected people with Ebola)
by the time the infected person is identified many more will be infected. This will be
compounded by the fact that the infected person or persons family may not be here
legally and this may stop them reporting this at a stage that could limit the
spread(sorry but true). Got to agree with Jonathan2, but any body fluids regardless
of size will spread this virus and by the time you think its more than the flu you've
spread this to 100s. The Government will try and reassure people that the measures
it has in place are suitable and sufficient to nip this in the bud, but our hospitals
cant even cope with the extra load of winter flu. I don't mean to panic anyone but
the facts are very clear, this virus is number 1 on the most feared list for good
reason, its excellent at what it does! A very very limited outbreak maybe just maybe
could be contained but will it be a limited outbreak?
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Jonathan2 said on 13 October 2014

The mayor of London and the Transport for London should immediately plan to have
large scale contingencies in place against an Ebola outbreak.

An Ebola victim who goes into the infectious phase and travels to their doctor or
elsewhere on the underground could transmit this through sweat onto underground
tube train poles and handles. This could transfer the virus to about 5 or 10 other
persons who later touched the poles or handles.

If the person caught a cold and was sneezing, and traveled during rush hour, he
could transmit the virus to about 10 to 25 people in one journey.

No one would have the names and addresses of these new victims.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has tried to downplay this risk to avoid public
panic, saying Ebola is not usually transmitted this way, which is true as less people
get colds in West Africa than the UK due to the climate, however WHO do state the
following:

"Wet and bigger droplets from a heavily infected individual, who has respiratory
symptoms caused by other conditions or who vomits violently, could transmit the
virus over a short distance to another nearby person. This could happen when
virus-laden heavy droplets are directly propelled, by coughing or sneezing (which
does not mean airborne transmission) onto the mucus membranes or skin with cuts
or abrasions of another person."

When Ebola reaches London, you can avoid touching infected coins and notes when
using the underground by using the Oyster card.
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harrybrass said on 10 October 2014
so can ordinary flu jab be helpfull to fight Ebola virus
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luiggi123 said on 10 October 2014

so you cant catch it by someone infected coffs or sneezes over you and just was my
hand regularly as i see my mum in hospital everyday
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Hampshire mum said on 08 October 2014
I am a parent of a 14 year old boy who along with his peers at school is talking
about and becoming concerned about this virus. It is everywhere on the news and
it's frightening. It's good to have this information available to help us understand
the facts.
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NorthEast Mum said on 06 October 2014
This is really useful information, I hope and pray this awful virus doesn't spread
across the UK. It's reassuring that border controls are checking passengers but they
didn't know about the man in the USA that lied on his form after being in Liberia.
Will it be the case that people will be afraid of telling the truth in case they're
denied on their flights? Thus getting back to the UK safely but risking so many
others.
I'm frightened for my family, let's hope they find a cure soon!