As a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus spreads through Central Africa, an American doctor who survived the feared disease has described the horrifying experience of living through Ebola. Dr Kent Brantly contracted the virus in summer 2014 while treating patients in Liberia.
Early Symptoms and Progression
In its early stages, Ebola can easily be mistaken for other, less deadly diseases. Sufferers experience high fever and muscle pains associated with a severe case of flu, along with extreme fatigue and weakness that can sometimes be mistaken for malaria. However, as the viral load increases, the illness can cause vomiting, extreme stomach cramps, and uncontrolled bleeding, which Ebola is notoriously known for. At least 40 outbreaks have been documented since the disease first emerged in 1976, after apparently making the leap from Congo's bat population.
WHO Declares Public Health Emergency
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared the new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern. Some 246 suspected cases have been reported so far, resulting in 80 recorded deaths. The WHO says that the virus has spread beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo, with two confirmed cases reported in neighbouring Uganda, where officials have reported one fatality from the disease.
Survivor's Account
Dr Brantly described the absolute horror that sufferers endure. "It is a terrible, humiliating, devastatingly painful disease," he told the Ottawa Citizen. He explained that because Ebola is so contagious, all doctors and nurses dealing with his case had to wear full PPE at all times, which is its own kind of torture. "The only thing you can see are the eyes of your caregivers. That's difficult not only physically, it's also difficult psychologically," he added. He noted that placing prisoners in solitary confinement is widely seen as inhumane, but the isolation that Ebola sufferers are forced to endure is its own kind of solitary confinement.
Mortality and Transmission
Around 50% of people who contract Ebola will not survive. Death is often due to shock from fluid loss and typically occurs between 6 and 16 days after the first symptoms appear. As yet, there have been no known cases of the disease being spread through the air by coughs and sneezes in the 50-year history of Ebola. The disease is spread through direct contact with body fluids, such as blood or, in some exceptionally severe cases, saliva. Most people spread the virus through blood, faeces, and vomit.
Recovery and Long-Term Risks
After recovering from Ebola, victims' semen or breast milk can potentially remain infectious for several months. Bodies can remain infectious long after death. Symptoms can take up to three weeks to develop after initial exposure. Victims will first experience the sudden onset of influenza-like symptoms such as fatigue, fever, weakness, decreased appetite, muscle and joint pains, headache, and sore throat. In around half of cases, sufferers may also notice a reddish skin rash with small bumps.
Current Outbreak Challenges
The current strain of the fatal disease has no known vaccine, and military conflict in the area has made containing the spread of the disease almost impossible. As with many diseases that originated in other species, outbreaks can frequently occur in areas undergoing deforestation that brings wildlife into closer contact with humans. Since the initial 1976 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it has since been identified in animals in areas as far afield as Pennsylvania, Texas, and Italy, where the virus had infected pigs. In July 2019, the World Health Organisation classified the Congo Ebola outbreak as a world health emergency.
