Ebola Crisis: The
Emerging Threat
Treatment & Management
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Safe Burials - Ground Level
Culture in Western African Nations has an emhasis that the body should be well cleansed before burial. However, if the deceased has been infected with Ebola, then there is a high chance of transmission rate to anyone who touches the body. This is why unsafe burials contributed to easy spreading amongst communities.
To try and prevent the spread, bodies need to be buried as quickly as possible and frequent hand washing at ground level has also been introduced.
There is currently no licensed drugs or vaccines for use against Ebola. This is because outbreaks are usually small-scale and regional. Concequently, there has not been a big enough market, or sample size to carry-out large scale trials inorder to explore the effect on humans.
The Ebola virus occurs in multiple forms and therefore a person needs to have an immune response against alll of the multiple forms. Therefore, its ability to replicate would mean that reistance to a vaccine could quicly evolve.
The WHO has argued that "Using an experimental vaccine on human beings in the middle of an outbreak in this case would not be ethical, feasible, or wise."
However, others believe that "The risk of dying from the vaccine is tiny compared to dying from Ebola and unlike communities, healthcare workers would understand the risks better and should be able to give informed consent."
ZMapp - an experimental treatment
Tests and trials are starting on survivors of the current western africa ebola virus outbreak. However its safety and effectiveness are unknown. ZMapp was craeted by combining 3 different antibodies that bind to the protein of the Ebola virus.
However, new drugs, distribution and trials for a treatment are very expensive. Western African countries cannot afford to research and develop this, therefore the role of the internatioal community in proving aid and support is important. Increased efforts to develop a vaccine occured after the first cases of ebola were found in USA.
Developing a vaccine - Global Level
Detecting Cases
It is difficult to know if a patient is infected with Ebola virus. The early stages as symptoms are very similar to already prevelent issues in africa e.g. Malaria. Symptoms include: fever, headache and muscle pain are similar to those of many other diseases.
Use of Protective Clothing & Isolation Units
- Ground & Regional Level
Hospital care
Dehydration is common, so fluids may be given directly into a vein. The patient's blood oxygen levels and blood pressure need to be maintained at the right level and body organs supported, while the patient's body fights the disease and other infections.
Healthcare workers need to avoid contact with the bodily fluids of their infected patients by taking strict precautions. This is done through the use of isolation units and protective clothing.
Educating Locals - Ground Level
As the Ebola virus had not previously been found in Western Africa, the people could not recognise the symptoms.
Therefore, in order to try and prevent the spread, and detect cases at an earlier stage, education of communities has been important.
The use of a poster has been effective in ground level communities