Ebola Flashcards
What is ebola?
Severe, often-fatal disease in humans/non-human primates (monkeys)
What is the average EVD case fatality rate?
Around 50%
What is the ebola virus?
RNA fliovirus
Virus family called Filoviridae
Two genus (Marburg & Ebola)
Five strains/species
What is the current EVD outbreak caused by?
Zaire species which started in Guinea
What is the total number of reported cases?
More than 24,282
What are the transmission routes?
Saliva Contaminated surfaces Blood Sexual contact Mother to foetus
What is the structure of ebola?
Nucleocapsid
Matrix
Envelope
How long has the genetic material from each of ebola’s 5 subtypes been stable for?
Over 40 years
What are the target tissues for EVD?
Connective tissues Most immune cells except lymphocytes Cells lining liver Kidney Lungs Blood vessel cells
What is the mechanism for infection?
EV binds to receptors Virus is internalised into a macropinosome Trafficked into endosome Fusion Replication Transcription Translation GP modification Further modification Viral assembly Secretion/budding
What is the pathology of EVD?
Targets the cell type Viral replication leads to septic state Macrophages first cells to be infected Immune cells carry virus to lymph nodes Virus then enters bloodstream and lymphatic system Spread throughout body
What are the symptoms of EVD?
Fever fatigue Muscle pain Headache Vomiting Diarrhoea Impaired kidney and liver Internal & external bleeding Low WBC and platelet counts Elevated liver enzymes
What do ebola diagnostic tests require?
Specialised equipment
Highly trained personnel
What investigations are carried out to confirm symptoms are ebola?
ELISA
RT-PCR assay
Electron microscopy
Virus isolation by cell culture
What are the treatments of EVD?
No effective treatment against disease only against symptoms
Maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance
Maintenance of oxygen and bp
Barrier nursing
Isolation of the suspected and confirmed cases of the disease
