The Health Ministry has begun investigations into a possible case of the Ebola virus entering Sri Lanka.

A casualty at the Rikillagaskada Base Hospital was reported to have several symptoms of the disease including a high fever, diarrhea and vomiting. However, a communique issued by the State Media Department said that the symptoms could also mean that the man had Rat Fever and that further blood samples had been sent for testing to verify the cause of death.

But due to the individuals recent travel history where he spent some time in India, the Director of the Ministry of Health has instructed Divisional Health Officers to take all precautions.

There have been no reported cases of Ebola in India so far but a Nigerian woman on route to India has died in the UAE after exhibiting symptoms of the disease. Symptoms of the virus take between two days to three weeks to become apparent. The virus spreads through contact with infected individuals body fluid.

Fellow infected US aid worker Nancy Writebol is expected to follow shortly. Ebola has claimed 728 lives in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone this year, killing up to 90% of sufferers. The virus spreads through human contact with a sufferer’s bodily fluids.

Initial flu-like symptoms can lead to external haemorrhaging from areas like eyes and gums, and internal bleeding which can lead to organ failure. The US health authorities have warned against travelling to the African states affected and 50 extra American specialists are being sent to affected areas.

The plane carrying Dr Brantly was outfitted with a special portable tent designed for transporting patients with highly infectious diseases.

After it touched down at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, the patient was collected by an ambulance which drove him to Emory, 15 miles (24km) away.

At the hospital,  a person in protective clothing could be seen climbing down from the back of the ambulance and a second person in protective clothing appeared to take his gloved hands and guide him toward a building, the Associated Press report.

US officials say they are confident the patients can be treated without putting the public in any danger.

Source: BBC

Countries in Asia and Europe are on alert following fears that the Ebola virus could get out of control. This is in the wake of serious outbreaks in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, although suspect cases reported outside of these countries have thus far tested negative for the virus.

International medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported more than 1,000 cases and more than 600 deaths in the west African region.

“While the number of cases in Guinea has declined significantly, in neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia more and more people are being infected with the virus,” said MSF. “With resources already stretched, health authorities and international organisations are struggling to bring the outbreak under control.”

In Asia, Hong Kong has announced quarantine measures for suspected cases. It received one case arriving from Africa with possible symptoms, but eventually tested negative for the virus.

Other countries such as Britain have regarded the threat seriously – with one suspect case also testing negative – and have taken necessary precautions, while others have seen medical professionals who have worked in the affected regions quarantining themselves.

For now, the virus seems to be contained in west Africa, although MSF raised concerns that countries might not be able to deal with an outbreak should the virus spread.

An international spread of the virus could lead to restrictions on air travel, although no plans are currently considered.

Information from the World Health Organisation website

About the virus

Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever) is a severe, often fatal illness, with a death rate of up to 90%. The illness affects humans and non-human primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).

The origin of the virus is unknown but fruit bats are considered the likely host of the Ebola virus, based on available evidence.

Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa, infection has occurred through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.

Currently there is no licensed vaccine for Ebola virus disease. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use right now. Raising awareness of the risk factors and measures people can take to protect themselves are the only ways to reduce illness and deaths.

Transmission

Once a person comes into contact with an animal that has Ebola, it can spread within the community from human to human. Infection occurs from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, or other bodily fluids or secretions (stool, urine, saliva, semen) of infected people. Infection can also occur if broken skin or mucous membranes of a healthy person come into contact with environments that have become contaminated with an Ebola patient’s infectious fluids such as soiled clothing, bed linen, or used needles.

Health workers have frequently been exposed to the virus when caring for Ebola patients. This happens because they are not wearing personal protection equipment, such as gloves, when caring for the patients.

Groups with higher risk of infection in an outbreak - health workers; family members or others in close contact with infected people; mourners who have direct contact with the bodies of the deceased as part of burial ceremonies; and hunters in the rain forest who come into contact with dead animals found lying in the forest.

Symptoms: Onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat are typical signs and symptoms. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.

The incubation period, or the time interval from infection to onset of symptoms, is from 2 to 21 days. The patients become contagious once they begin to show symptoms. They are not contagious during the incubation period.

Detection and treatment

Ebola virus disease infections can only be confirmed through laboratory testing.

If a person has been in an area known to have Ebola virus disease or in contact with a person known or suspected to have Ebola and they begin to have symptoms, they should seek medical care immediately.

Any cases of persons who are suspected to have the disease should be reported to the nearest health unit without delay. Prompt medical care is essential to improving the rate of survival from the disease. It is also important to control spread of the disease and infection control procedures need to be started immediately.

To help control further spread of the virus, people that are suspected or confirmed to have the disease should be isolated from other patients and treated by health workers using strict infection control precautions.