Ebola: A Severe Viral Infection from Abroad

It is highly unlikely that Ebola will spread to Thailand. The severity of the disease, with a 50% chance of infection, means those infected will become ill and experience severe symptoms. The chances of people traveling by plane or long distances across continents are very low. A disease that could cause a global pandemic like COVID-19 would have to be much less severe, such as the flu. Someone might be sick in Bangkok today and then in Chiang Mai tomorrow, spreading the infection there. The ability to travel long distances allows for rapid spread. COVID-19 is similar.

What is Ebola?

Ebola is a severe viral infection in the viral hemorrhagic fever group, caused by a virus in the genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae. It has a high mortality rate, ranging from 25 - 90%, depending on the strain and public health system. The disease has been found in wild animals in Africa for hundreds of years. It was named Ebola because it was first detected and isolated on the banks of the Ebola River in the Republic of Congo (1976). Since then, there have been occasional outbreaks, especially in rural areas. There are several strains of Ebola; the Zaire ebolavirus is the most severe, followed by the Sudan ebolavirus. The largest outbreak occurred between 2013 and 2016, originating in West Africa, Guinea, and spreading to Liberia and Sierra Leone, affecting approximately 30,000 people and causing 11,000 deaths. This outbreak was primarily caused by the Zaire strain. This led to the development of a vaccine for this strain and its use in prevention, bringing the disease under control.

This outbreak occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as reported in the news today. There are more than 250 patients and more than 80 deaths. It is a moderately virulent strain, the Bundibugyo ebolavirus. Currently, there is no vaccine against this strain.

• The main mode of transmission is direct contact with infected patients or reservoir animals, especially among African indigenous people and their tradition of cleaning corpses before ceremonies, which facilitates direct contact.
• Ebola outbreaks often occur in rural areas, linked to wild animals. There is a high rate of hospital-acquired infections and many medical personnel deaths due to the severity of the disease and its human-to-human transmission.
• Symptoms of Ebola include sudden high fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, a rash, and easy bleeding both internally and externally. The symptoms are severe and can lead to death in a short period of time.

The severity of the disease is a limiting factor that prevents it from spreading widely across countries or continents, which would easily lead to a global pandemic. The World Health Organization emphasizes disease prevention, particularly by reducing contact with infected individuals or reservoirs, and is developing vaccines specific to the strain. Currently, there is a vaccine specific to the Zaire strain.

Thailand is a country that is still far from the disease outbreak area, and the severity of the disease will be another limiting factor in its spread. Therefore, there is no need for excessive concern, but it is necessary to provide accurate knowledge and understanding of Ebola.

 

Reference :

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