There are no specific drugs for Ebola, so treatment is done by monitoring the person's blood pressure and oxygen levels, as well as using antipyretic medications to relieve symptoms.
It is important that the disease is identified immediately and treatment started shortly thereafter with the hospitalized patient to increase the chances of a cure and to prevent transmission between others.
Although there is no specific treatment to cure Ebola, some patients treated with drugs to relieve symptoms were able to eliminate the virus from their body.
How Ebola is treated
There is no specific remedy to treat infection with the Ebola virus, the treatment being carried out according to the appearance of symptoms and with the person in isolation, to prevent transmission of the virus to other people.
Thus, treatment for Ebola is done with the aim of keeping the person hydrated and with normal blood pressure and oxygen levels. In addition, the use of medications to control pain, fever, diarrhea and vomiting, and specific remedies to treat other infections that may also be present, may be recommended.
It is extremely important that the patient is kept in isolation to avoid spreading the virus, as this disease can easily be transmitted from person to person.
Although there is no specific drug to fight the virus, there are several studies under development that analyze the potential effect of blood products, immunotherapy and the use of drugs to eliminate the virus and, thus, fight the disease.
Signs of improvement
Signs of improvement in Ebola can appear after a few weeks and usually include:
- Decreased fever; Reduced vomiting and diarrhea; Recovered state of consciousness; Decreased bleeding from the eyes, mouth and nose.
Generally, after treatment, the patient should still be quarantined and have blood tests done to ensure that the virus responsible for the disease has been eliminated from his body and, therefore, there is no risk of transmission among others.
Signs of worsening Ebola are more common after 7 days of first symptoms and include dark vomiting, bloody diarrhea, blindness, kidney failure, liver problems or coma.
How Ebola virus is transmitted
The transmission of the Ebola virus occurs through direct contact with the virus, and it is also considered that the transmission happens through contact with infected animals and, later, from person to person, since it is a highly infectious virus.
Transmission from person to person occurs through contact with blood, sweat, saliva, vomit, semen, vaginal secretions, urine or feces from a person infected with the Ebola virus. In addition, transmission can also occur through contact with any object or tissue that has entered these secretions or with the infected person.
In case of suspected contamination, the person must go to the hospital to be kept under observation. Symptoms of virus infection usually appear 21 days after contact with the virus and it is when symptoms appear that the person is able to transmit the disease. Thus, from the moment that any Ebola symptom is observed, the person is sent to isolation in the hospital, where tests are performed to diagnose the virus and, in case of positive diagnosis, treatment is started.
Know how to recognize Ebola symptoms.
How to avoid infection
In order not to catch Ebola it is important to follow all Ebola virus prevention instructions whenever you are in places during epidemic periods.
The main forms of Ebola prevention are:
- Avoid contact with infected individuals or animals, not touching bleeding wounds or contaminated objects, using condoms during all sexual intercourse or not staying in the same room as an infected individual; Do not eat gnawed fruits, as they may be contaminated with the saliva of contaminated animals, especially in places where there are fruit bats; Wear special personal protective clothing made up of impervious gloves, mask, lab coat, glasses, cap and shoe protector, if close contact with contaminated individuals is necessary; Avoid frequenting public and closed places, such as shopping centers, markets or banks during periods of epidemic; Wash your hands frequently, using soap and water or rub your hands with alcohol.
Other important measures to protect yourself from Ebola is not to travel to countries like Congo, Nigeria, Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone and Liberia, or to places that border, because they are regions that normally have outbreaks of this disease, and it is also important not to touch in the bodies of individuals who died of Ebola, as they can continue to transmit the virus even after they are dead.
Watch the following video and find out what an epidemic is and check the measures to be taken to prevent it:
