Africa can be quite an adventure for travelers with the sweeping landscapes and the rich culture of the people. However, this continent also harbors many different tropical diseases which have killed millions of people around the world. One of these diseases, Ebola, is particularly scary because it is often fatal.

The Ebola virus originated in the tropical rain forests of Africa with animals such as the monkey mostly infected. This virus is transmitted from the animal to humans where it can then take a life of its own with transmission from human to human by direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, semen and more.

Defining the Virus

Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever which is perhaps the deadliest of all tropical viral fevers. While some people infected are “lucky” enough to contract mild forms, many cases progress to potentially fatal proportions. This disease starts with flu-like symptoms and can progress into hemorrhaging and organ shut-down.

Viruses from four different viral families are likely culprits of Ebola and it depends on the geographical area as to what particular virus is the cause. Bunyaviruses, filoviruses, flaviviruses and arenaviruses are the four families and animals such as monkeys and rodents typically carry the virus as well as bugs and insects that feed off of them like mosquitoes and ticks.

Signs of Ebola

As mentioned before, Ebola can start with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle pain and sore throat. Next, diarrhea and vomiting occur along with a rash. Liver and kidney often start to work in a diminished capacity and both external and internal hemorrhaging (bleeding) can occur.

Symptoms of Ebola typically start anywhere from two days to three weeks after initial exposure to the disease. Unless treatment is started immediately, as in the very first signs, the death toll could range anywhere from 50-85%.

The reason why Ebola is common in underdeveloped areas like Africa is because the medical care there is not up to the standards of the United States and other industrialized nations. Medical workers often have to re-use syringes and needles and often don’t have adequate protective gear. Besides personal contact with someone infected, this is how the disease can also spread.

Treatment and Prevention of the Disease

Because it is a virus, there is no known cure for Ebola. In addition, there are no effective vaccines either. This is the reason why the death rate can be quite high – there is almost nothing that can be done other than treat the symptoms like provide pain medications and fluids to prevent dehydration.

The best way to protect you is to avoid the areas where Ebola occurs. If you plan to travel to Africa, contact the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to find out if there are any travel advisories to the area you plan to visit. Even if there are no advisories, you should still try and avoid rural areas as well as protect yourself from mosquito and bug bites. Do not try to handle any animals, particularly monkeys, even if they appear domesticated. One of the first outbreaks of Ebola started with an infected monkey.
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