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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 28, 2014 4:32 PM IST
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern about restrictions imposed by several countries and localities on travellers from major Ebola-affected countries, a spokesperson said here Monday. Ban believes that these restrictions have put particular pressure on health care workers and those who have been on the front-line of the Ebola response, said Stephane Dujarric, Ban's spokesperson. (Read: Ebola facts frequently asked questions (FAQ))
'Returning health workers are exceptional people who are giving of themselves for humanity,' said Dujarric on Ban's behalf, adding that "they should not be subjected to restrictions that are not based on science.' Ban's remarks came after a US nurse spoke out against her quarantine in New Jersey after returning from her volunteer trip of treating patients in Sierra Leone, Xinhua reported. (Read: What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?)
Kaci Hickox has been isolated in a tent outside the main hospital at Newark International Airport since she was taken off a flight Friday and she was released Monday. The mandatory quarantine policies have spread over other US states, including New York and Illinois. Other countries like Italy are also reported to have introduced similar restrictions. (Read: How the Ebola virus spreads in humans)
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.
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.
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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