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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 16, 2014 11:11 AM IST
The UN Security Council Wednesday urged member states to maintain trade and transport links with the Ebola affected countries to enable timely utilisation of assistant resources. 'The members of the Security Council stressed that the response of the international community to the Ebola outbreak has failed to adequately address the magnitude of the outbreak and its effects,' Xinhua reported citing the council.
In this regard, the council also 'strongly' urged airlines and shipping companies to follow the UN's call while applying appropriate health protocols. On Oct 14, the UN body held a meeting on Ebola, during which the Sierra Leone permanent representative to the UN called on member states to re-examine their policies of isolating Ebola affected countries and their citizens.
It also expressed their concern about the effect of the trade and travel restrictions imposed on and to the affected countries as well as acts of discrimination against the nationals of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
How the Ebola virus spreads in humans
It spreads through infected body fluids: Ebola spreads from one infected person to the other through direct contact of the skin and other bodily fluids. The virus is present in the body fluids of an infected person which includes blood, semen, sweat, urine, saliva, feaces, vomit, etc. If a healthy person comes in contact with the infected body fluids that enters his system through open wounds, blood transfusions or through the eyes, ears, mouth, nostrils, genital area, it can infect an individual within a span of two to 21 days depending on the severity of the viral attack. Having unsafe sex with an infected person also can lead to the viral infection.
It can spread through direct skin to skin contact: One major reason why healthcare workers and immediate family members of infected Ebola victims were falling prey to the same in the infected areas is due to direct skin to skin contact with the patients. This is because the virus can be easily transmitted through an exchange of bodily fluids like sweat, saliva, etc. However, remember the virus would not spread only through casual contact. There has to be a medium for the transmission to take place and in case of a skin-to-skin contact it is either sweat, saliva, blood or other body fluids. It is advisable to take proper precautions if you need to be around a victim at any given point of time. Using protective equipment like gloves, masks and protective units is recommended to prevent the virus from spreading to a healthy individual. Read more about How the Ebola virus spreads in humans
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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