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Tiny purple spots (where blood vessels have burst)Bloody diarrhea or bowel movementsOozing blood from the mouth, nose, eyes, or anywhere the skin has been broken
How can I get Ebola? " ” You can get Ebola in one of these ways: ‚
- You have been in direct contact with someone who has Ebola. Direct contact means that you have touched body fluids (such as blood, saliva, mucus, vomit, urine, diarrhea, or semen) from an infected person (alive or dead) and have touched your eyes, nose, or mouth, or an open cut, wound, or scrape. (Sometimes people touch fluids and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth without realizing it.)
- You have direct contact with objects that have the virus on them (such as medical equipment).
- You have direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an animal that has Ebola. It is also possible to get infected by eating undercooked meat from an infected animal.
Ebola is NOT spread through the air. ‚
Ebola virus on dry surfaces, such as doorknobs and countertops, can survive for several hours. When it is in body fluids (such as blood), the virus can survive up to several days at room temperature. Ebola virus is killed with hospital-grade disinfectants or household bleach. ‚
Should I see a doctor or nurse? " ” If you have been exposed to Ebola, or have been to an area where many people are sick with Ebola, you may be asked to monitor your temperature. If you have had a possible exposure to Ebola virus, public health officials may monitor you as well. For an updated list of places affected by Ebola, see the CDC website mentioned above. ‚
If you may have been exposed " “ even if you did not have direct contact with someone with Ebola " “ here is what you should do: ‚
- Check your temperature every day for 21 days after your last exposure.
- Check yourself for any of the Ebola symptoms listed above for 21 days after your last exposure.
- If you think you have a fever, or any symptoms of Ebola, call your doctor, nurse, or your state or country health department.
- If you are very sick, and need to go to the hospital right away, let the ambulance and hospital staff know as soon as possible that you might have Ebola. That way, the healthcare workers taking care of you will know to protect themselves and others from infection.
If you are seen for a possible Ebola infection, a doctor or nurse will do an exam and ask about your symptoms. He or she will also ask where you live, where you have traveled, and what type of contact you have had with people (or animals) that might be sick. ‚
Is there a test for Ebola? " ” Yes, there is a test that can be done on blood or other body fluids. ‚
How is Ebola treated? " ” If you have Ebola, you might be treated in the hospital, possibly in the intensive care unit (also called the "ICU"). There is no cure for the infection, but the doctors and nurses in the hospital can help support your body while it fights the infection, and make you as comfortable as possible. You might need to get fluids through a tube that goes into a vein (called an "IV"). You might also need medicines to help support your blood pressure or treatments to help your blood clot properly. There are experimental treatments that have been given to some patients with Ebola. But these have not yet been proven to work in humans. ‚
Can Ebola be prevented? " ” You can reduce your chances of getting Ebola by staying away from people who have Ebola or who have had contact with Ebola victims. The virus may spread between people who have close contact with one another. The virus travels in body fluids, so any kind of contact with potentially infected body fluids is risky. ‚
If you must be around people who are sick with Ebola, contact your doctor, nurse, or local health officials to find out how to protect yourself. You will need to wash your hands with soap and water often, and you will need to wear gloves, a mask, a gown, and lots of other protective gear. It's important that you know just how to put the protective gear on and take it off. Your local health officials can teach you. Do not try to do this on your own without help from an expert. ‚
Do not touch anyone who is sick with or died from Ebola. The bodies of people who have died from Ebola must be handled using protective gear. They must be buried or burned as soon as possible after death. You should let specially trained people bury the bodies of those who died (or might have died) from Ebola. ‚
If you are in areas where Ebola is present, avoid contact with bats, monkeys, and non-human primates (such as chimpanzees or gorillas). Also avoid blood, fluids, or raw meat from these animals. These animals can spread Ebola to people. ‚
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. ‚
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. ‚
Topic 96684 Version 5.0 ‚
Release: 22.8 - C22.208 ‚
‚ © 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. ‚
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