Question 1

what are the symptoms of having an ebola virus?

Accepted Answer

Sudden ones: In ebola virus  signs and symptoms typically begin abruptly within five to 10 days of infection. Early signs and symptoms include
 fever
 severe headache
 joint and muscle aches
 chills
 sore throat
 weakness
 
over time, symptoms become increasingly severe and may include: 
nausea and vomiting
 diarrhea 
 red eyes
 raised rash
 chest pain and cough
 stomach pain
 severe weight loss
bleeding

Question 2

if exposed to ebola virus how long until you can be tested to see if you have it? do you have to wait for symptoms to present?

Accepted Answer

Ebola virus: Check out http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/diagnosis/. Currently we isolate all those who have been exposed until nonspecific symptoms develop and then test. Rapid testing has recently been approved (http://www.who.int/medicines/ebola-treatment/1st_antigen_RT_Ebola/en/).

Question 3

how do i know if someone have the ebola virus?what are the symptoms?am a medical student by the way...

Accepted Answer

Ebola: The symptoms of Ebola virus infection are relatively non-specific in a diagnostic sense. You must develop fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea followed shortly by liver, kidney failure and problems with hemostasis. This must occur in the appropriate epidemiologic context for one to think about Ebola as a possible cause. There are other causes of hemorrhagic fevers, including Dengue.

Question 4

dear doctors,  i wcwant uto ask about the physical signs of the ebola virus before it spread. thank you?

Accepted Answer

Much like flu: Fever, muscle aches, fatigue ....unfortunately much like many other illnesses. That is why it is so difficult to diagnose early unless you are thinking about it, looking for it and have the means to do the blood test needed to confirm it.

Question 5

how did the ebola virus start? how did it get into the u.s.?

Accepted Answer

Ebola Virus: Ebola is a filovirus (Filoviridae). The genomic fossils of filoviruse family that impact mammals have likely existed tens of millions of years. Viruses mutate over time. The first recognized Ebola outbreak was in 1976.  Some individuals who became infected by Ebola in Africa traveled to the US  - there by leading to US cases.

Question 6

has their ever been a case of someone having the ebola virus in the u.s.?!?!

Accepted Answer

No: But there was scare about an airborne ebola virus (that luckily didn't cause illness in human) outside washington, dc in the early 1990s.  Read richard preston's the hot zone for details about that.

Question 7

is of possible for anyone in the u.s. to contract the ebola virus from just day to day contact ?

Accepted Answer

Not likely: Transmission from person to person is not from casual contact.

Question 8

what exactly is the ebola virus?

Accepted Answer

Bad: Ebola virus is a filovirus found primarily in central  africa that causes  a hemorrhagic fever that is frequently fatal.  One strain called ebola-reston caused  quite an outbreak in monkeys imported from the philippines in reston, virginia that did not cause disease in people. Spread by contact with blood and body fluids, an outbreak is currently occurring in uganda (july 2012).

Question 9

how could one avoid ebola virus?

Accepted Answer

Don't go where it is: The first and most important risk factor for Ebola is:  Travel to west Africa.  

It is really that simple.  You can't catch it by casual contact and it is not thought to be airborne.  Therefore, staying away from areas where Ebola is endemic (common in that area) is the surest way to avoid it.

Question 10

how long is an "ebola" virus alive?

Accepted Answer

Ebola: Viruses are not "alive" in the sense that they can live independently. They require a host cell in which they alter the cell's metabolism to create new virus. This will not live very long outside the body unless on moist specimens from an infected individual and is usually transmitted by direct contact with the secretions of the infected patient. Bats have been implicated in transmission.

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Doctor answers about:

Ebola virus signs and symptoms

A member asked:

What are the symptoms of having an ebola virus?

A member asked:

If exposed to ebola virus how long until you can be tested to see if you have it? do you have to wait for symptoms to present?

A member asked:

How do i know if someone have the ebola virus?what are the symptoms?am a medical student by the way...

A member asked:

Dear doctors, i wcwant uto ask about the physical signs of the ebola virus before it spread. thank you?

A member asked:

How did the ebola virus start? how did it get into the u.s.?

A member asked:

Has their ever been a case of someone having the ebola virus in the u.s.?!?!

A member asked:

Is of possible for anyone in the u.s. to contract the ebola virus from just day to day contact ?

A member asked:

What exactly is the ebola virus?

A member asked:

How could one avoid ebola virus?

A member asked:

How long is an "ebola" virus alive?

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