Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains.

Ebola can cause disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). Ebola was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa. The World Health Organization, as of Oct. 25, reports 10,141 cases of Ebola with 4,922 deaths from the 2014 West Africa outbreak.

Diagnosing Ebola in a person infected for only a few days is difficult, because the early symptoms, such as fever, are nonspecific to Ebola infection and are seen often in patients with more commonly occurring diseases, such as malaria and typhoid fever.

Symptoms of Ebola include fever greater than 100.4 degrees; severe headache; muscle pain; weakness; diarrhea; vomiting; abdominal pain; and unexplained hemorrhage. Symptoms may appear two to 21 days after exposure, but the average is eight to 10 days. No FDA-approved vaccine or medicine is available for Ebola. Recovery depends on clinical care and the patient's immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.

Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in - for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola, objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus; and infected animals. Ebola is not spread through the air or by water, or in general, by food. There is no evidence that mosquitos or other insects can transmit Ebola virus. Only mammals such as humans, bats, monkeys, and apes have shown the ability to become infected with and spread Ebola virus. Health-care providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with infected blood or body fluids of sick patients. The Ebola virus is killed with hospital-grade disinfectants such as household bleach. Ebola virus on dry surfaces, such as doorknobs and countertops, can survive for several hours; virus in body fluids can survive several days at room temperature.

The CDC and Homeland Security begin entry screening on Oct. 8 at five U.S. airports that receive over 94 percent of travelers from the Ebola-affected nations. In the two months since exit screening began in the three affected countries, of 36,000 people screened, 77 people were denied boarding a flight. None of the 77 passengers were diagnosed with Ebola and many were diagnosed as ill with malaria, a disease common in West Africa, transmitted by mosquitoes and not contagious. As of Oct. 26, there are four confirmed cases of ebola in the U.S.: one fatality, two fully recovered health workers and a doctor who contracted ebola treating patients in Guinea.

Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html

Chip Tuthill lives in Mancos.