Ebola is a killer disease caused by a virus. It spreads quickly from person to person, kills in a short time BUT can be prevented.
Signs and symptoms of Ebola virus
- Fever
- Vomiting blood
- Bloody Diarrhea
- Muscle/Joint Pain
- Bleeding
- Abdominal pain
- Headache
- Skin rash
- Red eyes
How Ebola virus spread
- Direct contact with wounds, body fluids like blood, saliva, vomits, stool, urine of an infected person or splashing of such fluids from an infected person to another person and un-sterilized injections.
- Using skin piercing instruments that have been used by an infected person
- Direct physical handling of persons who have died of Ebola
- Eating bush meats especially monkeys, chimpanzees, bats and dead animals
- Eating fruits that bats or wild animals have partly eaten (bat mot).
How can Ebola be prevented
- Avoid eating bush meats
- Avoid direct physical contacts with body fluids of a person suffering from Ebola by using protective gloves, masks and goggles
- Avoid direct contact with dead bodies
- Always wash your hand with soap and water after shaking people
- Persons who died of Ebola virus should be buried immediately and long burial rites should be avoided
- Report any suspected cases of Ebola to the nearest health unit immediately