The Acheson Group
Disease Fact Sheets
Ebola Fact Sheet
What is Ebola?
Ebolais a viral disease, that likely originated in animals and spread to humans. Most cases occur in Sub-Saharan Africa among people who have close contact with blood, body fluids or tissues from infected animals or a sick or dead person. Secondary cases have been detected elsewhere. Transmission can also occur through objects that may be contaminated with bodily fluids.
Why Should I Care about Ebola?
- 50% average fatality rate, though this can vary from 20% to 90%
- 2021 has seen a new outbreak resulting in CDC health screening requirements for persons arriving from outbreak areas.
- Early diagnosis is a challenge because symptoms may be nonspecific at first (e.g., fever, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting), then progress to unexplained bleeding or bruising.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF EBOLA
What Do I Do About Ebola?
- Be aware of regions experiencing an
- Ebola outbreak and avoid contact with possible transmission routes (e.g., animals, bodily fluids) as much as possible.
- Monitor health for symptoms and seek medical care if they develop.
- Recommend any employee showing symptoms contact their healthcare provider.
- As the virus can persist for several hours on hard surfaces, cleaning and disinfecting with a hospital-grade disinfectant is needed to manage risks.
- Treatment includes supportive care and specific therapeutics when available.
- Consider vaccination. The FDA has approved a single-dose Ebola vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV, tradename “Ervebo”) which is aimed at the virus strain that has caused the most significant outbreaks.
- Community engagement is needed to recognize and manage risks to control outbreaks.
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