Spanish media reported that the 44-year-old Spanish nurse,Teresa Romero, Who was the first individual outside Africa to get infected with the deadly Ebola virus is said to be improving health-wise. On the other hand, 15 people who were suspected of having caught the infection from the nurse are presently under clinical observation. These people are kept in the Carlos III Hospital in Madrid and have showed no key symptoms of the Ebola illness. But they need to stay in the hospital till they complete the 21-day incubation period showing no symptoms. (Read: Ebola virus is mutating rapidly say scientists)
The nurse will have to undergo a test for the Ebola virus over the next two days. It is expected that there might be negative results as the number of virus after the treatment is reported to be low as compared to earlier test results. (Read: 8 tips to prevent Ebola infection)
Here s are some interesting facts about the Ebola virus that make it so deadly.
It can kill within seven days: Unlike other viruses (like HIV) that can remain dormant in a person for years without causing the disease, Ebola violently multiplies until the viral particles are amplified to about 100 million viral particles in a droplet of blood. Further, without resting in a dormant stage the virus kills the host to find a new one. The fatality rate of the disease is 60 percent. (Read: Ebola Facts: Top 7 myths busted)
There is no vaccine or treatment available: What makes this virus deadly is the fact that researchers have not been able to find an effective treatment or preventive technique to combat the virus and the spread of the disease. The experimental drug Zmapp has shown promising results but the safety and efficacy of the drug are to be evaluated. So, as of now, neither do we have an effective form of therapy nor do we have a vaccine to prevent the disease. (Read: 8 tips to prevent Ebola infection)
Attacks every part of the human body: Ebola only needs a host cell that can help it produce multiple copies of itself. What worsens the condition is the fact that the virus does not need a specific type of cell to multiply (unlike other deadly diseases). According to studies, except for skeletal muscles and bones, the virus is known to infect every part of the human body. Connective tissues, the ones that hold your internal organs in place, are primary targets of the virus. Read more about 10 reasons that make the Ebola virus deadly for humans
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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