Difgferent Ways You Can (And Can't) Contract Ebola Virus

How do you get Ebola? I’m sure this question is on everyone’s mind as the virus rapidly becomes an international health emergency.
It’s important not to let hysteria get the best of you because, as The Washington Post so eloquently put it, “Fear can spread even faster than the virus.”

 Ebola is serious and extremely deadly, but like all viruses, the number one risk factor of contracting it is actually coming in contact with someone who has the virus.

How You Can Become Infected

Direct Contact With A Symptomatic Patient

In order to get Ebola, you have to come into direct contact with bodily fluids of a person who is infected with the virus and already symptomatic.

Ebola is a caused by a family of viruses called Filoviridae, and like all viruses in this family, can only be spread through person-to-person transmission.

“For the average person, the risk is low,” a doctor who specializes in infectious disease, but preferred to remain anonymous told Medical Daily.

“Urban health care workers may be a little bit more at risk, but I don’t think your average community clinic is.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola is spread by direct contact with blood or bodily fluids, including but not limited to: urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, break milk, and semen.

Also, not all these bodily fluids are as potent as others. For example, while blood and feces are usually quite abundant with the virus, other fluids such as saliva and sweat are much less likely to carry the virus.

To become infected, these fluids must enter your body through either broken skin or through a mucous membrane, such as those found in the eyes, nose, or mouth.

“If they don’t have a fever, they are not shedding the virus,” the doctor told Medical Daily.

The Dead

It is unknown how long the Ebola virus can remain alive on dead bodies, but experts predict that it may takes months before the virus is completely deactivated on an infected corpse.

This is why so much emphasis has been placed on immediate disposal of contaminated cadavers.

Contaminated Objects and Materials

Another unfortunate aspect of Ebola is that the virus is quite efficient at living outside of the human body.

This is why it’s possible to get the virus from non-organic materials. You can get Ebola from infected objects, such as needles or syringes, that have been contaminated with the infected bodily fluids of an Ebola patient. Continue reading

SOURCE: MEDICALDAILY