Title: 10 Essential Facts About the Ebola Virus | Everyday Health
Headings: 10 Essential Facts About the Ebola Virus
10 Essential Facts About the Ebola Virus
The latest Ebola epidemic has claimed hundreds of lives, making it the second deadliest to date.
1. Scientists Believe Ebola Starts in Animals and Spreads to Humans
2. You Can Catch Ebola Through Contact With Body Fluids — and Even Dead Bodies!
3. The Worst Ebola Outbreak Occurred in 2014–2016
4. The Second-Worst Outbreak Is Happening Now
5. Early Symptoms of Ebola Mimic Other Illnesses
6. Ebola Is Not a Risk to the General Public in the United States
7. Bleeding Is Common in the Later Stages of Ebola
8. Ebola Is Often Fatal
9. Vaccines Are in the Works and Are Already Being Used
10. There’s No Cure, but There Are Promising Treatments Being Studied
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Content: Bats that carry the virus can transmit it to other animals. ( 2) Ebola is introduced to humans through close contact with the blood, secretions, or organs of infected animals, such as fruit bats, gorillas, chimpanzees, monkeys, forest antelope, or porcupines. Humans can also contract Ebola by eating or handling infected bushmeat — the meat of wild animals. ( 3)
2. You Can Catch Ebola Through Contact With Body Fluids — and Even Dead Bodies! Once Ebola reaches the human population, it spreads via direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. When someone touches these secretions, the virus can gain entry through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth. It can be passed on through sexual contact and needle-sharing. Surfaces, materials, and objects may also harbor Ebola. Direct contact with a deceased body of someone who had Ebola is another way to contract the disease.