Outbreak of Ebola Case Study

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Ebola Virus Response and Resource Management Plan

Ebola Outbreak

Ebola Virus

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Transmission

Implications for Public Health

Incident Command Structure

Communication Management

Resources Required

Social and Mental Health Programs

Dead-body Management

Precautions for Healthcare Providers

This paper develops a response and resource management plan for Ebola virus. The paper would provide general information about the virus. In addition to that it will also highlight the incident command structure, resource requirements, communication and dead-body management, health and mental programs, and the precautionary measures that would be incorporated in the plan.

Ebola Virus Response and Resource Management Plan

Introduction

The Ebola epidemic, which began on the year 2014, is the largest epidemic that has been witnessed in the history, in its initial stages the Ebola virus affected a large number of people in West Africa, but it continued to grow and now poses a significant threat to various nations of the world.(Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014) This paper, therefore, will develop a response and resource management plan that will highlight the basic facts regarding the virus, and the health care implications associated with it. In addition to that, it will also put light on the command and communication structure, resource requirements, social and mental health programs, dead body management, and precautionary measures that are associated with the epidemic.

2. Ebola Virus

Ebola, which was previously referred to as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and dangerous disease that is caused by infection, which consists of one of the species of the Ebola virus. Ebola virus has the tendency to cause diseases in both human as well as non-human primates, such as gorillas, monkeys and chimpanzees. In the year 2014, the Ebola viruses hit a number of African countries. The virus, however, was first discovered in the year 1976 near the Ebola River, which is situated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After this discovery, the African region witnessed various intermittent outbreaks of this virus. (Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014)

The concerned authorities have been unable to identify the natural reservoir host of Ebola viruses. The researchers have, on the basis of evidence and study of the similar diseases, have indicated that it is an animal borne disease and bats may be the reservoir for this disease. This is because around four out of the five types of the virus occurred in an animal host, who was an African native. As the researchers have not identified the natural reservoir yet, hence the manner in which the disease appears in the humans at the time of first outbreak is also not known. The researchers, however, have indicated that the humans may get infected because of the contact with an infected animal, which may include a non-human primate or a fruit bat. (Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014)

2.1. Symptoms

Ebola virus does not become contagious until and unless the symptoms begin to appear in the infected person. The most common signs and symptoms of Ebola virus include the following: fever, fatigue, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal (stomach) pain, and unexplained hemorrhage, which consists of bleeding or bruising. The symptoms may become evident in time period ranging from 2 to 21 days once a person is exposed to the virus. The average time period for the appearance of symptoms, however, is 8 to 10 days. (Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014)

The two main determinant of the success and pace of recovery from Ebola virus are: the immune system of the affected individual; and the quality of the supported clinical care that is provided to him or her. People who manage to fight the virus and recover from it develop anti-bodies, which may last for a time period of ten years or more. It has, however, not been identified yet that whether the people who recover from the virus are immune to it for the entire life time or if they can become infected with other species of the Ebola virus. It has also been observed that some of the people who recovered from the Ebola virus developed a number of complications, including muscle and joint pain, and vision problems.

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(Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014)

2.2. Diagnosis

It is very difficult for the medical officials of diagnose Ebola in an individual who has been infected for a few days only. This because the symptoms associated with the early stage of Ebola virus, including fever, are not specific to the Ebola virus only and are commonly associated with a number of other diseases such as malaria and typhoid. However, if the individual under consideration has fever as a symptom and the healthcare officials have reasons to believe that he or she has Ebola then the individual shall be isolated and the public healthcare professionals shall be notified immediately.(Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014)

The healthcare professionals can collect and test the blood samples of the affected individual to confirm the presence of virus. Ebola virus can be detected in the blood of an individual only after the appearance of symptoms, other than fever, which accompany the increase in the circulation of the virus to the other of body. The appearance of the symptoms, which may take the virus to a detectable level, may take about three days. (Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014)

The laboratory tests that are used to diagnose Ebola Virus are demonstrated by the following table:

Timeline for the Disease

Diagnostic Test

In the early stages of the disease

Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing

IgM ELISA - Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Virus isolation

Later in the course of disease or after the recovery

IgM and IgG antibodies

In the deceased person, for investigation purposes

Immunohistochemistry testing

PCR

Virus isolation

(Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014)

2.3. Transmission

When a person gets infected with the Ebola virus, he or she can transmit the virus to other individuals in a wide variety of ways. Ebola virus spreads when an individual gets in direct contact, either because of broken skin or unprotected mucous membranes that are present in eyes, nose and mouth, with:

The blood or other body fluids, which may include but are not limited to saliva, feces, sweat, vomit, urine, breast milk, and semen, of a person who is infected with Ebola

Objects such as needles and syringes that are contaminated with the Ebola virus

Fruit bats or primates, including apes and monkeys, which are infected with the Ebola virus.(Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014)

It shall, however, be kept under consideration that Ebola virus does not generally spread through air, water, or food. In Africa, on the other hand, one of the factors that lead towards the transmission and spread of the Ebola virusis the handling of "bush meat," which can be defined as the wild animals that are hunted for food. In addition to that, the contact with bats infected with Ebola also spreads the disease. There is, however, no evidence, that the contact with mosquitos or other insects may also act as a source for the transmission of Ebola virus. (Staff Members of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, 2014)

The researchers have also indicated that only a limited number of species of mammals, including bats, monkeys, apes, and humans, have the tendency to become infected with Ebola virus. It has also been indicated that once the infected people recover from the virus they do not pose any threat to the community as they can no longer spread the virus in the community. Even though the virus was detected in the semen of the affected individuals after the patients had recovered from the virus, it has not been identified that whether the virus could spread through sex, which includes oral sex as well. The health care professionals, therefore, advice the infected men, who have recovered from the Ebola virus, to refrain from sex for a period of three months after recovery, as a precautionary measure. However, if it is not possible for the affected individuals to refrain from sex then the use of condoms may help in preventing the spread of disease from one person to another. (Staff Members of the.....

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