Editorial Team
... Read More
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
Written By: Editorial Team | Published : September 9, 2014 6:54 PM IST
A suspected case of Ebola was detected in central Italy, a health official said Tuesday. A 40-year-old woman was hospitalised with 'Ebola-like symptoms' in Civitanova Marche town of Macerata province, ANSA news agency reported citing Marche Regional Health Councillor, Almerino Mezzolani. He added that the woman would soon be transferred to the infectious diseases department of the regional hospital in Ancona.
The woman had recently been to Nigeria, the official added. The woman's Ebola-like symptoms reportedly included haemorrhagic fever, but the Ebola diagnosis has not yet been confirmed. The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has been the worst in 40 years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The disease has claimed over 2,000 lives this year.
What is Ebola Virus?
The Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe condition caused by a virus from the Filoviridae family. Known to be a condition that is transmitted from animals to humans, this virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or animal.
Here are some early symptoms of Ebola
Fever: Increase in body temperature is the first defence mechanism that the body uses to kill any foreign particle invading the body. When Ebola infects the body, it causes a release of various compounds like cytokines and histamines that pass on the signals of increasing body temperature. In fact, Ebola virus disease is also called the Ebola haemorrhagic fever, where the temperature can go above 38.6 C or 101.5 F.
Headache: It is the most common symptom of Ebola infection after fever, present in almost 96 percent of the cases. Nausea and headache along with fever present a typical case of common cold and flu. At this stage, the symptoms can be confused with other common infections.
Stomach pain: A few viral particles invade the liver and starts destroying the hepatocytes. New virions start damaging the intestinal cells causing abdominal pain. Read more about 9 warning symptoms of Ebola that you should know
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
You may also like to read:
For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And for health-related queries, visit our Questions and Answers section.
