An epidemic of ebola virus disease is occurring in western africa on a scale not seen before, particularly in the countries of guinea, liberia, and sierra leone. Transmission was centred in the four prefectures of forecariah n5, boke n5, conakry n1. Virological diagnosis of ebolavirus infection sciencedirect. These laboratories have substantially reduced the burden on medical professionals by providing onsite diagnostics. The disease is rare and occurs in sporadic outbreaks. Four species of ebolaviruses have been identified in west or equatorial africa. Genomic surveillance elucidates ebola virus origin and transmission during the 2014. Ebola virus disease evd is a rare and deadly viral illness caused by infection with one of the ebola virus species. In 2014, the world health organization who declaredthe ebola outbreak in west africa a public health emergency of international concern, noting that all nations should beprepared. These recommendations reflect current understanding of ebola virus disease evd and are intended for national laboratory staff performing diagnostic testing to detect ebola virus.
Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that causes fever, body aches, and diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding inside and outside the body as the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune. The outbreak can only be stopped by a combination of early diagnosis, patient segregation with e. Ebola virus, a rna virus, was discovered in 1976 as zaire ebolavirus and currently is responsible for outbreak in the west africa. Diagnostic strategies for ebola virus detection the. Ebola virus disease outbreaks occur mainly in villages in central and west africa and have a mortality rate up to 90%. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of ebola virus. The mucinliked region of the ebola virus envelope play a significant role in viral infection in nonhuman primates and. The disease is caused by a singlestranded rna flavovirus which tends to replicate on dendritic cells, macrophages, and monocytes. In march 2014, the largest ebola outbreak in history exploded across west africa. All ebola cases probable and suspected should be referred to a designated. Laboratory diagnosis of ebola virus disease world health.
Your risk of contracting ebola is very low unless you visit an area where it. Ebola is a serious and deadly virus transmitted by animals and humans. Several patients diagnosed with ebola virus disease in africa have been evacuated to the united states for. Kansas ebola preparedness and response plan version 9. Signs and symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, sore throat, muscular pain, and headaches. Colin delivers this course with real depth and passion, a testament to his leading role on the ground in sierra leone during the 2014 outbreak. Virological diagnosis of ebolavirus infection 4 irus variants that emerged in guinea and the democratic republic of the congo in 2014. As of november 14, 2014, the world health organization has reported a total of 21,296 ebola virus disease evd. After automated microfluidic mixing and hybridization, nonspecific cleavage products of casa are immediately measured by a custom integrated fluorometer which is small in size and convenient for infield diagnosis. Characterization and analytical validation of a new.
The diagnosis is confirmed by isolating the virus, detecting its rna or proteins, or detecting antibodies against the virus in a persons blood. Resonancefrequency modulation for rapid, pointofcare. There have been no new cases of ebola virus disease evd reported since 17 february 2020. Ebolaviruses are pathogenic agents associated with a severe, potentially fatal, systemic disease in man and great apes. Early symptoms of evd such as fever, headache, and weakness are not specific to ebola virus infection and often are seen in patients with other more common diseases, like malaria and typhoid fever. Colin brown, someone who has practical of experience of ebola virus disease, as he introduces the deadly 20142016 ebola virus outbreak that terrified the world. Ebola virus disease evd is a severe, often fatal, zoonotic infection caused by a virus of the filoviridae family genus ebolavirus1. In the week 14 to 21 june, 12 new confirmed cases were reported. Updates in diagnosis and management of ebola hemorrhagic fever. Early symptoms of evd such as fever, headache, and weakness are not specific to. These viruses are elongated, filamentous structures of variable length. Ebola virus disease evd, formerly known as ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a.
It was initially detected in 1976 in sudan and the democratic republic of. Evd outbreaks typically start from a single case of probable zoonotic transmission, followed by. Laboratory diagnosis laboratory results should be communicated to who as quickly as possible, in addition to international health regulations ihr reporting. On 9 march, the last 46 contacts finished their followup. Ebola virus disease evd is a severe and frequently lethal disease caused by ebola virus ebov. Diagnosing ebola virus disease evd shortly after infection can be difficult. To determine whether ebola virus infection is a possible diagnosis, there must be a combination of 1 symptoms suggestive of evd and. On 3 march 2020, the only person confirmed to have evd in the last 21 days figure 1 was discharged from an ebola treatment centre after recovering and testing negative twice for the virus.
Transmission electron micrograph showing some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed by an ebola virus virion centers for disease control and prevention. Ebola virus disease evd pan american health organization. Contents 2 introduction definition ebola virus structure classification mode of transmission mechanism of action symptoms diagnosis treatment controlling the spread of. Overlapping symptoms with other endemic diseases, such as malaria and cholera, make accurate diagnostic challenging. The average ebola case fatality rate is around 50%. Ebola is a rare, often deadly virus that causes a severe illness called hemorrhagic fever. Ebola is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or objects, such as needles or bedsheets, that have been contaminated with the virus.
Diagnosis early symptoms of evd such as fever, headache, and weakness are not specific to ebola virus infection and are seen in patients with more common diseases, like malaria and typhoid fever. Pdf introductionan outbreak of ebola virus disease evd began in guinea in december 20, and by 21 november 2014, 15531 cases had been identified. Ebolaviruses, and the other viral causes of haemorrhagic fevers vhf have always posed special problems for diagnostic laboratories. Diagnosing ebola virus the driving factor for an ebola virus diagnosis is typically during an active outbreak when a confirmed epidemic is occurring. Virological diagnosis of ebolavirus infection ncbi. Ebola virus infection differentials bmj best practice. The ebola virus is a member of the filoviridae family genus ebolavirus. Lets begin by discussing laboratory diagnosis of evd. Filoviridae figure 1 that include a group of large viruses having a filamentary form with characteristic filamentous particles that may exceed nm 801400 nm in diameter. Laboratory diagnosis of ebola is achieved in two ways. This risk includes all medical personnel in direct contact with the patient, the patients blood, or other body fluids or tissues. Early supportive care with rehydration, symptomatic treatment improves survival.
Ebola ebola virus disease ebola ebola virus disease fact sheet. Figure caption and citation for the preceding image starts. Evd is one type of hemorrhagic fever that is commonly found in west, central, and east africa. Ebola is believed to be zoonotic, however the natural reservoir is unknown. Rapid risk assessment outbreak of ebola virus disease in west africa, 12th update, 30 june 2015 3 guinea. This graph depicts the temporal relationships between symptoms, detectable ebola virus in the blood, and. For early detection of ebola virus in suspect or probable cases, detection of viral rna or viral antigen are the recommended tests.
Author summary ebola virus disease is a severe disease caused by ebola virus, a member of the filovirus family, which occurs in humans and other primates. Contact with blood and body fluids such as urine, feces, saliva, sweat, vomit, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids. Ebola disease ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. Ebola home ebola diagnosis if a doctor suspects a diagnosis of ebola, he or she will ask about the persons medical history and perform a physical exam. The management of ebola virus disease medics academy. This graph depicts the temporal relationships between symptoms, detectable ebola virus in the blood, and the immune response. Ebola virus is a nonsegmented negativesense rna virus. An isolated incidence which presents suspicious indications associated with ebola virus, like haemorrhage accompanied by fever and other flulike symptoms, anywhere in the world will also prompt. Once the more virulent forms enter the human population, transmission occurs primarily through contact with infected body fluids and can result in major epidemics in underresourced settings. Diagnosis of ebola virus disease evd how to safely collect and transport blood samples from persons suspected to be infected with ebola virus 1. Ebola, also known as ebola virus disease evd, is a viral haemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses. Laboratory diagnosis of ebola virus infection can be made by detection of rna or viral antigens in blood or other body fluids, using reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction rtpcr, antigen capture enzyme immunoassay or virus isolation. The current large ebolavirus disease evd outbreak in west africa, with cases occurring. Laboratory diagnosis of ebola virus disease plays a critical role in outbreak response efforts.
Course lectures and scripts ebola virus disease and clinical care part ii lets begin by discussing laboratory diagnosis of evd. The ebola virus is commonly spread through contact with bodily. Mobile laboratories for highly dangerous pathogens were deployed in west africa during the 201416 outbreak of ebola virus disease. Infection with the virus can damage blood vessels, affect multiple organs e. Neurological, cognitive, and psychological findings among survivors of ebola virus disease from the 1995 ebola outbreak in kikwit, democratic republic of congo. Laboratory diagnosis of ebola virus is achieved in two ways. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of ebola virus disease. Ebola virus disease nederlandse vereniging voor intensive care. The epidemiology and pathogenesis of ebola virus disease will be presented here, including knowledge that emerged during and after the west african epidemic of ebola virus disease. To determine whether evd is a possible diagnosis, there must be a. Ebola virus disease in west africathe first 9 months of the.
Pdf laboratory diagnosis of ebola virus disease researchgate. Introductionan outbreak of ebola virus disease evd began in guinea in december 20, and by 21 november 2014, 15,531 cases had been identified with 5,429 associated deaths primarily in guinea. When the diagnosis of ebola virus disease evd is suspected, the travel and work history along with exposure to wildlife are important factors to consider. Proper hand hygiene means washing hands often with soap and water or an alcoholbased hand sanitizer while in an area affected by ebola virus, you should avoid. The continued spread is facilitated by insufficient medical facilities, poor sanitation, travel, and unsafe burial practices. Identifying it early can be difficult, due to the fact that early symptoms are similar to those of other medical conditions. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and then spreads in the human population through humantohuman transmission. A main concern in dealing with ebola virus infections is the potential for humantohuman spread of virus before the correct diagnosis is made. Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that causes fever, body aches, and diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding inside and outside the body. Ebola virus disease evd, also referred to as ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe and often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates such as monkeys, chimpanzees, and gorillas.