Ebola is spread through contact with body fluids of persons that have been infected. These include blood, vomit, saliva and even sweat. So far, no vaccine is available to confer Ebola protection in humans. To protect yourself from being infected, you need to avoid coming into contact with these fluids. This means that you keep away from persons that have been infected unless you have personal protective equipment.
Personal protective equipment should be worn by persons handling infected materials. The virus is transmitted in fluids such as saliva, blood, sweat or vomit. It is important that we stay as far away from these fluids as possible. The personal protective equipment is a fully body suit that comprises a gown, face mask, medical gloves and protective eye wear. Ensure that you put on two pairs of gloves especially when handling infected sharp objects.
Washing hands regularly helps to reduce the risk of transmission. Soap and water are often sufficient. If you have trouble getting water, you may use an alcohol based hand sanitizer as an alternative. Items that have been used by an infected person are likely to be contaminated and should not be reused, any rooms that have been used by infected persons should be hosed down before reuse.
If you have items that need to be re-used then proper disinfection and sterilization are necessary. Chlorine bleach is effective for needles and other sharps. The sharps should be soaked for at least thirty seconds in the bleach. Bleach solution is also effective in cleaning surfaces and equipment. The process should be repeated at least twice. Heat resilient items can be sterilized by boiling for about twenty minutes.
People who die from Ebola remain infectious for a long period of time. The virus feeds on the tissues until the whole body has decomposed. This means that careful disposal of corpses is required. Any death that is suspected to be a result of Ebola should be reported to the local department of public health. There should be no direct contact whatsoever.
Other animals other than human beings have also been shown to be hosts of the virus. Some of the well known animals that are commonly infected include fruit eating bats in the tropical rainforests and non-human primates. It is widely believed that the first infection in humans originated from these hosts. Any fluids and tissues from these animals may transmit the illness and should be avoided.
Persons with a history of recent travel to an endemic area need to undergo self monitoring for a few days. They should look out for a fever that is usually associated with other symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, muscle pains, unexplained bleeding or headache. The wise thing to do once these symptoms are experienced is to contact the public health department. The disease takes about two weeks to incubate before symptoms are experienced.
The control of the Ebola outbreak can only be achieved by interrupting the chain of transmission. Any person that is suspected to have contracted Ebola or has been confirmed to have the same should be kept in isolation. They should only be handled by properly trained personnel who have the required equipment for the task.
Personal protective equipment should be worn by persons handling infected materials. The virus is transmitted in fluids such as saliva, blood, sweat or vomit. It is important that we stay as far away from these fluids as possible. The personal protective equipment is a fully body suit that comprises a gown, face mask, medical gloves and protective eye wear. Ensure that you put on two pairs of gloves especially when handling infected sharp objects.
Washing hands regularly helps to reduce the risk of transmission. Soap and water are often sufficient. If you have trouble getting water, you may use an alcohol based hand sanitizer as an alternative. Items that have been used by an infected person are likely to be contaminated and should not be reused, any rooms that have been used by infected persons should be hosed down before reuse.
If you have items that need to be re-used then proper disinfection and sterilization are necessary. Chlorine bleach is effective for needles and other sharps. The sharps should be soaked for at least thirty seconds in the bleach. Bleach solution is also effective in cleaning surfaces and equipment. The process should be repeated at least twice. Heat resilient items can be sterilized by boiling for about twenty minutes.
People who die from Ebola remain infectious for a long period of time. The virus feeds on the tissues until the whole body has decomposed. This means that careful disposal of corpses is required. Any death that is suspected to be a result of Ebola should be reported to the local department of public health. There should be no direct contact whatsoever.
Other animals other than human beings have also been shown to be hosts of the virus. Some of the well known animals that are commonly infected include fruit eating bats in the tropical rainforests and non-human primates. It is widely believed that the first infection in humans originated from these hosts. Any fluids and tissues from these animals may transmit the illness and should be avoided.
Persons with a history of recent travel to an endemic area need to undergo self monitoring for a few days. They should look out for a fever that is usually associated with other symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, muscle pains, unexplained bleeding or headache. The wise thing to do once these symptoms are experienced is to contact the public health department. The disease takes about two weeks to incubate before symptoms are experienced.
The control of the Ebola outbreak can only be achieved by interrupting the chain of transmission. Any person that is suspected to have contracted Ebola or has been confirmed to have the same should be kept in isolation. They should only be handled by properly trained personnel who have the required equipment for the task.
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