•This molecular model shows the parts of the Ebola virus scientists are studying in the hopes of finding drugs that will slow the spread of the disease.
By JOWIT SALUSEKI –
EBOLA, a contagious and deadly disease, has so far claimed many lives in West Africa.
However, one question required to be answered is how prepared is Zambia to respond to this virus?
The other question is; has the Ministry of Health issued out travel restrictions to West Africa in areas affected by Ebola Virus?
What other contentment measures has the Government put in place, especially with West Africa travellers into the country?
Ebola Virus or Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever is the human disease caused by the Ebola virus.
According to the Centers for Diseases control and prevention website, there are five species of the Ebola viruses: Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDVB), Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), Tai Forest ebolavirus (TAVF) and Reston ebolavirus (RESTV).
Ebola was first discovered in Zaire now called Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 by Belgium’s Peter Piot, then as a 27 year old scientist and medical school graduate training as a clinical microbiologist.
The disease typically occurs in the tropics of Sub Saharan-Africa, mostly common in DR Congo, Cameroun and Gabon.
The name of the disease originates from one of those first recorded in 1976 in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) which lies on the Ebola River.
There is no specific treatment for Ebola. Scientists say symptoms of the disease typically start two days or three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat and muscle pains.
Thereafter nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea follow, along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point a patient would start having breathing problems.
The virus may be acquired upon contact with blood or blood fluid of an infected animal, especially monkeys and fruit bats although not naturally transmitted through the air.
Once human infection occurs, the disease may spread through , especially with male survivors spreading the virus through semen to their female spouses.
Prevention includes decreasing the spread of the disease from infected monkeys to humans. This may be done by checking such animals for infection and killing them and properly disposing the bodies if the disease is discovered.
Cooking meat properly, wearing protective clothing and washing hands when around the person with the disease are advisable.
Scientists further advice that samples with bodily fluids and tissues from people with the disease should be handled with special caution.
Efforts to help people who are infected include giving either oral rehydration therapy or intravenous fluids. The disease has high mortality killing up to 90 Per cent of all those infected with the virus.
Between 1976, when it was first identified and 2013, fewer than 1000 people per year have been infected with Ebola.
The largest outbreak to date is the on going 2014 West African Ebola outbreak which is affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and recently Nigeria where one person who came from Liberia had died.
More than 1,320 cases have been identified while close to 900 people have so far died from the disease. Efforts are going on to develop a vaccine; however none exists at the moment.
United Party for National Development (UPND) vice president Canisius Banda says there is needed to safeguard citizens from international health threats such as Ebola.
Dr Banda, a medical expert, stressed the need for the Government to invoke and implement international health regulations as guided by the world Health Organisation.
“Zambia needs to have an in-country capacity for such preparedness, which capacity is currently not in place’’ says Dr Banda.
He says all points of entry needed to be manned by suitable public health officers at all times and that the right number of people needed to be trained in outbreaks communication.
But in view of this catastrophic disease, the Government has reassured the citizens of its preparedness to respond to the threat of the deadly virus.
Health Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya says the Government was not leaving anything to chance in responding to the deadly Ebola, that has been claiming lives in a number of West African countries.
Dr Chilufya says the state was aware of the threat Ebola posed to life and as such, had put in place necessary measures such as heightening screening for the disease in the country.
He says the Government had heightened surveillance at all entry points in view of the continued spread of the disease in West African countries.
Dr Chilufya says trained staff had been deployed in points of entry into the country with a view of providing a quick response in case of any Ebola threat.
The deputy Minister said in addition, the Government had stepped up the sensitization campaign on Ebola.
Most countries in the world are putting up stringent measures to stop the virus from reaching their territories .Seychelles which was scheduled to play Sierra Leone in an African soccer qualifier(Morocco 2015) has forfeited the game because of fear that players might bring the virus in that country.
A US relief agency has repatriated two of its American staff reported to have contracted the virus in Liberia.
Hundreds of US Peace corps volunteers have already been evacuated from the West African countries.
In March 2014, an outbreak of the Ebola virus occurred in the West African state of Guinea as this was the first Ebola outbreak registered in the region and the affected nations have been grappling with to fight the disease.
The world Heath Organization (WHO) is reported to have committed US$100 Million to the West African countries that have been affected with the pandemic while the World Bank has pledged US$200 Million.
It is hoped the state will not leave anything to chance over the Ebola threat that has continued to claim many lives in West African countries; this can be done by heightening surveillance on the points of entry.
