A Review on Ebola Virus Disease
Abstract
The Ebola virus (formerly officially designated Zaire ebolavirus, or EBOV) was first seen infecting humans in African continent; especially Sudan, Democratic Republican of Congo, Zaire and nearby countries. Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus. In the current outbreak, most cases are the result of human-to-human transmission, when there is direct contact with bodily fluids, secretions, the mucous membrane or broken skin of an infected person. The disease typically occurs in outbreaks in tropical regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. But now, the virus seems to have enthralled the global interest due to its lethal prospective. EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%. The research is ongoing on development of making vaccine to curb this virus yet licensed success or specific treatment is not achieved. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care.
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