The Guinea’s health ministry has said that fewer new cases of Ebola have been reported in the West African country in the recent weeks, suggesting that the outbreak that has killed over 100 people may be close to being contained.
According to the health ministry, deaths from recent Ebola outbreak have slowed and the situation is under control.
The disease has already killed 106 in Guinea and spread to neighboring countries in Western Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it could take two to four months for the outbreak to be entirely contained.
What is Ebola?
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a fatal disease contracted by humans and nonhuman primates like chimpanzees monkeys and gorillas. Virus Ebolavirus is responsible for causing this disease.
The first cases of Ebola were found in 1976 in Nzara (Sudan) and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The original host of the disease is unknown but researchers consider animals, mainly bats, as its source.
Symptoms of Ebola
Experts say, the symptoms of Ebola start appearing between 2 and 21 days after initial contact. The common symptoms include fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea rash poor kidney and liver function. In rare cases, patient can also experience internal and external bleeding.
There is no known cure or vaccine for Ebola. Currently treatments and vaccines are under development but most have not been tested in humans. Patients suffering from this disease usually suffer dehydration. Hence, they are given oral or intravenous fluid containing electrolytes. Patients must be quarantined.
