US doctor in West Africa infected with Ebola

Ebola in Liberia: American doctor fell ill

07/27/2014

For months, a serious Ebola epidemic has been raging in West Africa. Now, an American doctor has been infected with the dangerous virus at a relief mission in Liberia. He was ill, although he had strictly followed the safety rules.

Strictly kept to safety regulations
In Liberia, West Africa, an American doctor working for a relief organization has contracted Ebola. Samaritan's Purse said on Saturday that the 33-year-old had diagnosed the typical symptoms of Ebola and then went to the isolation ward of a clinic in the capital, Monrovia, according to AP news agency AP. A successful Ebola test was positive. It was unclear how the doctor could get infected. He worked in one of the two treatment centers run by the Christian organization in the country, strictly adhering to safety regulations.

First Ebola case reported from Nigeria
Ebola is currently spreading in the region. In addition to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone are also affected, and recently the first case of a disease has been reported in Nigeria. The man, who came from Liberia, died of the infection. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 660 people have succumbed to the disease since it first registered in February. MSF reported a few days ago that a total of 1,093 cases of illness have been registered in West Africa so far. Therefore, the organization is increasing its medical aid in the worst affected areas.

Up to 90 percent of the infected can die
Depending on the pathogen strain, the probability of dying from Ebola is up to 90 percent. According to the WHO, the incubation period for the dangerous infectious disease is two days to three weeks. The patients suffer from complaints such as muscle and headaches, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, high fever and internal and external bleeding. Ebola can be transmitted, among other things, through body contact or through blood and other body fluids. Since there is so far neither a targeted therapy nor a vaccine against the disease, physicians are usually limited to strengthening the immune system of the infected and helping the patients with medicines for fever, antibiotics against secondary diseases and measures against dehydration. (Ad)