Ebola Virus Explained: Q & A

Originally posted by the British Red Cross on July 4, 2014

An outbreak of Ebola has left more than 450 people dead in West Africa. The Red Cross, along with other humanitarian agencies, is working to stop the spread of the deadly and highly contagious disease. Here is a recent post from the British Red Cross explaining commonly asked questions regarding the outbreak and what Red Cross is doing to help. You can access the full questions and answers from the British Red Cross here.

View a Canadian Red Cross update here on what is being done for Ebola in West Africa.

What is the Ebola virus?
Ebola virus disease is a severe and often fatal illness – outbreaks have a fatality rate of up to 90 per cent, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Outbreaks occur predominately in remote villages in Central and West Africa near tropical rainforests.

The first incidence of Ebola was in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks: in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku, a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo close to the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.
The origin of the virus is unknown. This is the first time the disease has appeared in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

How is it transmitted?
The virus is believed to be transmitted to people from wild animals such as fruit bats. The Red Cross is warning people not to eat bush meat, a delicacy in West Africa. 
It is then spread between humans through direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person – blood, urine, stool, semen, saliva and sweat – or indirectly through contact with contaminated areas, such as soiled clothing or bed linen. Corpses containing the virus can also be infectious, making mourners at funerals vulnerable to infection.  Health care workers and carers are at particular risk when treating patients if strict precautions are not adhered to.   

How is Ebola treated?
Several vaccines are being tested, along with new drug therapies, but there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment available. Severely ill patients require intensive support care. They are frequently dehydrated and require oral rehydration with solutions containing electrolytes or intravenous fluids.
Some patients have survived this epidemic, but it’s not known which factors allow people to recover from the disease.

How is the Red Cross responding in other countries affected by Ebola?
The Red Cross has launched emergency and/or preparedness operations in West African countries that have been affected by the Ebola  outbreak – Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone – or are at risk of being affected – Ivory Coast, Mali and Senegal.

Education is key to stopping the spread of the Ebola virus and also easing people’s fears. Some people believe it is caused by witchcraft or a curse.

Red Cross activities are focused on working with communities to ensure they understand how to protect themselves from the Ebola virus disease and how to prevent the virus from spreading. 
These operations will reach up to 10 million people and will help allay some of the fear which is now spreading through communities.

The Red Cross in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia is using a variety of methods to ensure these messages reach even the most remote of villages. This includes radio broadcasts, SMS messages, and face to face visits with communities. 

Read more here about one Red Crosser's experiences with the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.

Canadians can support Red Cross efforts by donating to the West Africa Ebola Fund.