Ebola Virus Transmission and Causes

Transmission of Ebola Virus

  • Ebola virus enters the body when someone touches their face (mouth, lips, eyes, etc.) after contacting the virus.
  • Monkeys and apes can also carry the virus.
  • Person-to-person transmission occurs through bodily fluids (similar to COVID transmission).

Factors Contributing to Spread

  • Level of Development: Access to healthcare facilities and public health practices.
  • Cultural Beliefs: Specific practices contribute to the spread.

Consumption of Bushmeat

  • Common in Central and Western Africa due to low development and high poverty rates.
  • Wild-caught animals serve as the main protein source.
  • Examples include bats, apes, and antelopes from forests where the disease may exist.
  • These animals are often sold in wet markets, leading to consumption of infected meat.

Natural Reservoir

  • Fruit bats are considered the primary natural reservoir of the virus.
  • They carry the virus without showing symptoms, acting as hosts.
  • The virus can spread to other animals, particularly primates, through bites.
  • Humans become infected through contact with infected animals or their bodily fluids.
  • The exact origin and cause of the 1976 outbreak remain uncertain, and researchers are still studying the virus.

Human-to-Human Transmission

  • Direct Contact:
    • Contact with an infected individual or their bodily fluids (e.g., vomit on bedding).
    • The virus enters the body through touching the face (average 20-50 times a day).
  • Bodily Fluids: Blood, sweat, semen, saliva, vomit, urine, and feces.
  • Breast Milk: Transmission can occur from mother to child during breastfeeding.

Causes

  • Natural Cause: Fruit bats transferring the virus to humans.

Ways the Virus is Spread from Fruit Bats to Humans

  • Contact with infected animals.
    • Primates, bats, and rodents through hunting, handling, and preparing them for food.

Human-to-Human Transmission

  • Person-to-person contact with bodily fluids.
  • Transmission within families and between partners.

Unsafe Burial Practices

  • Traditional burials, involving washing, touching, and kissing the deceased, spread the virus.
    • Ebola continues to multiply after death, making the body highly infectious.
    • This practice is common in rural parts of Central and Western Africa.

Inadequate Healthcare

  • Lack of healthcare professionals and education hinders prevention.
  • Initial misdiagnosis as malaria or common cold/flu.

Cultural Beliefs

  • Hesitance towards Western medicine; preference for traditional healers.
  • Mistrust of healthcare workers, believing they brought the virus.

Airborne Transmission

  • Transmission through the air (aerosol particles) is very unlikely and one of the lowest transmission type.
  • Involves direct contact, contact with bodily fluids, and contact with bedding and clothing.
  • Unlike COVID, Ebola transmission primarily occurs through direct contact.

Zoonotic Disease

  • A disease that transfers from animals to humans.
  • Ebola is classified as a zoonotic disease.

Visual Cycle of Transmission

  • Reservoir Host (e.g., fruit bats) -
    • Direct contact leading to Human-to-human transmission.
    • Ingestion of contaminated fruit or water by other wild animals (deer, antelope, apes) -
      • Contact with these infected animals leading to transmission to humans.
  • Examples of zoonotic diseases include Ebola, Hep C, and HIV (direct contact required).
  • Airborne diseases: measles, influenza, tuberculosis.
  • Vector-borne diseases: malaria (transmitted by mosquitoes).

Other Means of Transmission

  • Contaminated equipment like needles and medical equipment.
  • Contact with surfaces or materials such as bedding, clothing, and towels.
  • Contaminated materials are typically burned after being sprayed with chlorine.

Burial Practices During Outbreaks

  • Move away from traditional burials.
  • Bodies are placed in body bags and removed by personnel in full PPE (Hazmat suits).

Community Engagement

  • Encouraging communities to seek medical assistance is crucial.

Important Considerations

  • Not everyone exposed to the virus develops Ebola; direct contact is usually necessary.
  • Some individuals can survive without medical intervention (rare).
  • The Zaire strain has a high fatality rate (70-90%) without medical attention.