Close X
Saturday, September 21, 2024
ADVT 
National

Ebola Scare In Winnipeg: A Look At Some Facts About The Deadly Virus

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Nov, 2016 12:38 PM
    WINNIPEG — An employee at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg may have been exposed to the Ebola virus after a tear in a protective suit was noticed during decontamination.
     
    Ebola is a highly contagious virus that the World Health Organization estimates kills 50 per cent of those it infects. The World Health Organization says the virus is transmitted to humans through wild animals and then spreads through the population through close contact with contaminated bodily fluids. The virus is not airborne.
     
    Here are more facts about Ebola:
     
    Origin: The Ebola virus was discovered in 1976 when two outbreaks flared up almost simultaneously in Africa, according to the World Health Organization. One of those outbreaks took place near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, giving the virus its name.
     
     
    The spread: Ebola spreads through close contact with a symptomatic person's bodily fluids, such as blood, sweat, vomit, feces, urine, saliva or semen. Those fluids must have an entry point, such as a cut or scrape, or direct contact with contaminated parts of the body.
     
    Certain burial customs that require direct contact with a person who has died from Ebola can also spread the virus. The World Health Organization says blood, feces and vomit are the most infectious fluids, while the virus is found in saliva mostly once patients are severely ill.
     
    Symptoms: The World Health Organization says early symptoms of the virus include "the sudden onset of fever fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat."
     
    More advanced symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, signs of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. Humans can show signs of illness from between two to 21 days of infection and only become contagious to others when they start showing symptoms themselves.
     
     
    Vaccines: There are currently no proven vaccines for Ebola. The World Health Organization says infected patients who are kept hydrated and whose symptoms are brought under control have a better chance of survival.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Chinese Real Estate Billionaire Says Customers Troubled By Vancouver Tax

    Chinese Real Estate Billionaire Says Customers Troubled By Vancouver Tax
    Chinese real estate billionaire looking to invest in Canada says his customers are troubled by British Columbia's tax on foreigners purchasing homes in Vancouver.

    Chinese Real Estate Billionaire Says Customers Troubled By Vancouver Tax

    RCMP In Langley, B.C., Say Sunday Evening Shooting Was Likely Targeted

    RCMP In Langley, B.C., Say Sunday Evening Shooting Was Likely Targeted
    A 29-year-old man from Mission, B.C., is recovering from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds following an attack Sunday night in Langley.

    RCMP In Langley, B.C., Say Sunday Evening Shooting Was Likely Targeted

    Surrey Becomes Canada’s First International City Of Refuge

    Surrey Becomes Canada’s First International City Of Refuge
    Surrey joins 60 cities, which include Paris, Oslo and Mexico City that have committed to the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) protecting writers and artists who are in peril in their own countries because of their professional activities.

    Surrey Becomes Canada’s First International City Of Refuge

    Male's Death In Langley, B.C., Appears To Be Targeted Homicide: Police

    Homicide police are investigating the death of a male in Langley, B.C.

    Male's Death In Langley, B.C., Appears To Be Targeted Homicide: Police

    Manslaughter Charge Laid Against Woman In Vancouver's Caprice Nightclub Assault

    Manslaughter Charge Laid Against Woman In Vancouver's Caprice Nightclub Assault
    The victim, Lauren McLellan, suffered severe head trauma and died several hours after being attacked in front of the Caprice Nightclub on Aug. 11.

    Manslaughter Charge Laid Against Woman In Vancouver's Caprice Nightclub Assault

    Listeriosis Contamination Suspected Of Foods From Richmond's Foody World Grocery Store

    Listeriosis Contamination Suspected Of Foods From Richmond's Foody World Grocery Store
    Vancouver Coastal Health says customers should not consume any produce or ready-to-eat foods made at Foody World.

    Listeriosis Contamination Suspected Of Foods From Richmond's Foody World Grocery Store