WE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT EBOLA VIRUS!!!!!!

The news of the recent outbreak of Ebola fever in parts of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone should set off alarm bells here at home.

We should be very worried about this development because in the West African sub-region, Nigerians are the most widely travelled nationals. One or several people contracting the virus and bringing it back here would be a major problem.

For one, the World Health Organisation issued a statement which said the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus is a limited one. On the other hand, Doctors Without Borders stated rather cryptically that this outbreak was unprecedented in their experience.

Read more from Punch after the cut.

They should know. The organisation is a very credible body that often provides the foot soldiers that conduct the kind of warfare against diseases of this kind. As at last weekend, it had shipped more than 200 tonnes of medical equipment and supplies to Guinea, the epicentre of the disease outbreak. Senegal had closed its land borders with Guinea to try and contain the disease, while their various health bodies warned the people about what they must do to protect themselves from this deadly disease that has no known cure.

Ebola fever is an infection caused by the direct transmission of the virus of the same name to humans from certain animals or their dead carcasses. It was first described in the Ebola river region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a haemorrhagic fever meaning that it causes external bleeding in addition to a host of symptoms and signs which are obvious among sufferers. There are four main types of the virus: there is the Ebola Sudan; Ebola Zaire; Ebola Ivory Coast and Ebola Reston. The first three types originate in West and Central Africa and are in circulation there. The last one originates in Asia and is not known to cause any disease in humans.

It is the first three types, therefore, that are important to us, particularly in our part of the world. They can cause disease. They are able to significantly dislocate communities and overwhelm health care resources in countries already in trouble from a scarcity of those very resources. The incubation period is only 12 days and the disease is capable of manifesting with severe high grade fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, problems with respiration such as sore throat and bleeding from the nostrils, the mouth, gums and skin. Death can occur within a few days.

The first recorded case of this disease occurred in the Sudan near its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976. The latter was then called Zaire. Between that first outbreak and now, there have been 13 reported outbreaks in humans. This one is the 14th and it is now spreading to areas of West Africa where it has never been seen before, such as Liberia and Sierra Leone.

There is no cure for this severe infection and spread is by direct contact through kissing, handshakes, hugging and so forth. People who make physical contact with others must wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water and then dry such hands properly. The original infection from infected animals involves the contact with their body fluids and this is mostly the case with gorillas, monkeys and chimpanzees. There is also the connection with bats which some of the people in the affected regions eat. This is not a known practice anywhere in Nigeria and so may not constitute a direct threat to people here. The problem lies in having people infected with the virus mingling freely with the healthy population. Besides, many Nigerian communities eat monkeys, which are a known reservoir of this virus.

Up to 90 percent of people who contract the Ebola virus die from it. It has been known to decimate primate populations in the wild and has struck with great fear in many human habitations since it was first discovered in 1976. The earliest symptoms are; abrupt fever, joint aches, headache, muscle pains, sore throat and weakness after an incubation period of two to 21 days. The symptoms then progress beyond this point to hiccups, which are often severe enough to interfere with talking and breathing, stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and the development of a skin rash. The skin rash is often described as red bumps developing around the body. More profoundly is the onset of both internal and external bleeding in some patients. When this stage is reached, death is inevitable. There is no standard treatment for this disease. Only supportive care is available.

Prevention of this disease is difficult. Barrier protection for health workers is key and they should be obliged to wear masks, gowns, goggles and latex gloves. It is very important to prevent other people from catching the infection. If possible, do not venture outdoors. If you must, then do not hug, kiss or shake hands with others. If you shake hands then you must use a soapy lotion to wash your hands thoroughly. Even these measures may be insufficient to protect you but do not shy away from trying your utmost.

Very often, our various governments condemn us to providing for ourselves, to the extent that each one of us is almost a mini-government on his own. It is nowhere more explicit than in this case. We have a serious disease outbreak in some distant countries frequently visited by Nigerians, and till date, there is no travel advisory regarding a serious issue such as this.

So, be wary if you must go there. Be extra vigilant and be very reserved in your greetings with even familiar people. That may be the resource required for survival.