Ebola

Advice for Students

What is Ebola? Ebola virus disease is a rare but severe and often fatal disease which is caused by Ebola virus. It can result in uncontrolled bleeding, causing damage to the patient’s vital organs.

Where is the current outbreak? Since March 2014 there has been a large and widespread outbreak in West Africa affecting Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, over 1000 people have died.

There have been no cases in the UK and experts state that it is very unlikely the disease would spread even if it arrived in the country

How is it spread?The virus is initially transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission through contact with the blood and body fluids (stools, urine, saliva and semen) of an infected person or with a body of a deceased Ebola victim.

It is NOT spread through routine social contact (such as shaking hands) with people who do not have symptoms nor is it as infectious as diseases like flu, as airborne transmission is much less likely with Ebola.

What are the signs and symptoms of Ebola?Symptoms usually start suddenly 2-21 days after becoming infected (usually 5-7 days)

Fever Headache Joint and muscle pain and intense weakness Sore throat Diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain Rash Impaired kidney and liver function Internal and external bleeding

It is important to note for all students many of these symptoms are similar to colds, flu, meningitis, malaria and many other infectious diseases which are much more common.

If you have these symptoms please stay at home and call 111 or 999 for advice stating that you have recently visited West Africa.

Is there a treatment for Ebola? There is no cure for this disease, and antibiotics are not effective. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care and isolation, which may include rehydration with intravenous fluids.

What if I think I might have Ebola? Unless you’ve come into contact with the blood or bodily fluid of an infected person (for example by providing healthcare for a person with Ebola or handling the dead body of someone who died from Ebola), there is little chance of you being infected.

If you feel unwell with symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat or rash within 21 days of coming back from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone or Nigeria, you should

Centre for Wellbeing

stay at home and immediately telephone 111 or 999 and explain that you have recently visited West Africa. These services will provide advice and arrange for you to be seen in a hospital if necessary so that the cause of your illness can be determined.

It is also really important that medical services are expecting your arrival and calling 111 or 999 will ensure that this happens.

Are people in the UK at risk of Ebola? People in the UK are at a very low risk of Ebola as the virus is only transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. No cases of imported Ebola have ever been reported in the UK.

Although it is possible a case could be identified in the UK in a person returning from an affected country, this is unlikely. Even if a case were identified, our healthcare system is set up to identify and deal with unusual infectious diseases. Ebola causes far more harm in countries with less developed healthcare facilities and public health capacity.

I am living in halls with someone from an affected country, am I at risk?It is very unlikely that transmission from person to person in the UK will happen as the method of transmission is by blood or bodily fluids. In addition Ebola victims do not become infectious until shortly before they develop symptoms, the affected person’s disease progresses very rapidly therefore they do not interact with others for long before they seek urgent medical care. If you are concerned about your own or a housemate’s health encourage them to call 111 for advice or speak to a nurse in the Centre for Wellbeing

I may have been on a flight with someone with Ebola. Am I at risk?It is very unlikely that you could catch Ebola through social contact or by travelling with someone who is affected without direct contact with blood or body fluids. Cabin crew and border forces are trained to spot people displaying signs and symptoms of Ebola and have guidelines to manage such potential communicable disease outbreaks.

I am travelling to or from an affected country, what are the risks?The risk of a tourist becoming infected with Ebola during a visit to affected areas is extremely low unless there is direct contact with the body, blood or bodily fluids of an affected individual. The risk to UK travellers of contracting Ebola is very low and can be mitigated by simple precautions. There is a higher risk for humanitarian healthcare workers exposed to patients unless appropriate personal protection equipment is used.

The general advice is to Avoid all contact with infected persons Health workers or Aid worker should strictly follow WHO infection control guidance Anyone staying in affected areas should be aware of the symptoms and seek medical attention at first

sign of illness Practice safe sex

See advice to travellers (link to be attached)

For more information click on these links

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ebola-virus/pages/ebola-virus.aspx http://www.nathnac.org/travel/news/ebola_westafrica_120814.htmhttp://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/342321/Ebola_QA.pdf

Information taken from Public Health Information, NHS choices, WHO and NaTHNacWritten by Laura Smythson 20/8/14