Ebola

Overview

Ebola is a viral, tropical infectious disease which mostly occurs in Central and West Africa. It often has a life-threatening, haemorrhagic progression with severe internal and external bleeding. A mild attack presents with flu-like symptoms. To prevent contracting this virus, don't get too close to or eat wild animals during trips to the tropics.

Symptoms

• Incubation period: Usually 8-10 days

Mild progression

• Flu-like symptoms
  • Exhaustion
  • Fever, chills
  • Headaches and sore throat
  • Diarrhoea
  • Joint pain/limb pain/muscle pain
  • Skin rash
  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Burning eyes (conjunctivitis)

Severe disease course (often)

• Haemorrhage (bleeding), coagulation disorders
  • Heavy external and internal bleeding
  • Red dots on skin (petechiae)
  • Vomiting (of blood), blood in urine
  • Watery and bloody diarrhoea
  • Nosebleeds
  • Sometimes circulatory collapse
• Oedema (collection of fluid)
• Cramps
• Disorientation, possibly leading to coma
• Can cause death (multiple organ failure/circulatory shock)

Causes and treatment

Causes

• Pathogen
  • Ebolavirus
  • Where found: mainly in Central and West Africa

Transmission

• From animals to humans
  • Eating of infected meat (“bushmeat”)
  • Contact with animal excretions
  • Carriers: monkeys and fruit bats
• Human-to-human transmission
  • Contact with bodily fluids
  • Close contact is required
  • Smear infection (infected items)

Further treatment by your doctor / in hospital

Possible tests

• Physical examination
• Identification of pathogen
  • Blood test
  • Analysis of other bodily fluids, if necessary
  • Done in high-security laboratories

Possible therapies

• Passive vaccine is in development
• Isolation (risk of contagion)
• Treatment of symptoms
  • Medication to reduce fever/pain
  • Coagulation control
  • Replacement of lost fluids
• Intensive care treatment
  • Monitoring
  • Organ replacement therapy (artificial respiration, blood purification, etc.)

What can I do myself?

• Medical advice for travellers (at least 3 months before travelling)
• Avoid epidemic areas, if possible
• Vaccine is being tested
  • First large campaigns carried out in Congo in 2018
• Avoid contact with animals when travelling
  • Don't eat wild animals killed as food (“bushmeat”)
  • Don't travel into the wild in epidemic areas
• General hygiene measures
  • Disinfect items of daily use
  • Hand hygiene
  • Food hygiene
  • Avoid contact with infected people

When to see a doctor?

If following symptoms occur during or up to three weeks after returning from a trip to the (sub)tropics (general suspicion of a tropical disease)

• Fever
• Feeling ill
• Bleeding (skin, mucous membranes)
• Vomiting (of blood), blood in stools and urine
• Headaches/joint pain/muscle pain
• New skin rash, yellow skin

Further information

Federal Office of Public Health, FOPH (Bundesamt für Gesundheit, BAG)
www.bag.admin.ch/bag

Ostschweizer Infostelle für Reisemedizin (Eastern Switzerland Information Centre for Travel Medicine)
www.osir.ch

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Schweizerisches Tropen- und Public Health-Institut)
www.swisstph.ch

FDFA (travel links)
www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en

Synonyms

Ebola, Ebola fever and Ebola haemorrhagic fever, Ebola haemorrhagic fever, Marburg fever, Ebolavirus disease, Ebola disease, EVD, Maridi fever, EHF, haemorrhagic Ebola fever