The latest zoonotic threat...

On October 8^th the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held a live event on Twitter giving people an opportunity to ask questions in regards to Ebola (EVD).  Having done some research online, not to mention the barrage of information being furnished by the news stations, made me excited to be part of getting on-the-spot, up-to-date information right from the horse’s mouth.  Although having this on a website where you are limited to the number of characters you use to ask a question or respond, the CDC and participants did a good job of asking/answering questions.  Here is the rundown of facts learned about EVD from participating in the Twitter event:

·         This EVD is the Zaire strain and this is the largest EVD outbreak in history.

·         Ebola is NOT spread through casual contact.  There is NO evidence that EVD is transmitted via mosquitoes or other insects.  “Though unlikely, if person with Ebola sneezes on someone and saliva/mucus contacts persons eyes, nose, mouth, disease may spread.

·         EVD is spread via blood and bodily fluids (I.e. urine, feces, semen, etc) and can live on fomites (inanimate objects) for up to two hours if surface is dry, longer if surface contained bodily fluids.

·         This outbreak is believed to be from an animal reservoir, most likely a bat. 

·         “When safe alternatives exist, Mothers with Ebola should avoid close contact with their babies, including breast feeding.”

·         Incubation period is two to 21 days, with the typical being eight to 10 days.  Usually the first notable symptom is fever.

·         “Evidence suggests Ebola survivors are immune (to Ebola) for at least 10 years from that particular strain.”

·         There are several treatment modalities and vaccines in development.

·         The current EVD medical processes involve:  finding the disease, isolating the patients, tracing/monitoring disease contacts and stopping exposure.

EVD is a zoonotic disease and should be evaluated from both the veterinary and human health professions.  As stated above, this current EVD outbreak is believed to have started from a bat.  The recent headlines included a dog that was euthanized in Spain because his owners, one of which was a nurse that had treated EVD patients, tested positive for EVD and is currently being treated (Nadeau, October 2014).  Although there a dog has never been documented as having showed clinical signs of Ebola, there was a study in 2005, “Ebola Virus Antibody Prevalence in Dogs and Human Risk” (Allela, Bourry, Pouillot, et al.) that demonstrated dogs may be asymptomatic carriers.  In this study, the researchers note that in various outbreaks in the Republic of Congo, a definitive source could not be identified in connecting to a bat host, however the common denominator was dogs.  When trying to place this information in context, keep in mind these dogs are purpose animals (I.e. used for hunting) and “are not fed and have to scavenge for food” (Allela, Bourry, Pouillot, et al, March 2005).

This information is meant to be a resource for those looking for information.  For the sources listed in this entry, or for more information, please refer to the following:

·         Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Has a thorough tutorial on EVD.  http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html

·         “Ebola Virus Antibody Prevalence in Dogs and Human Risk.”  http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/3/pdfs/04-0981.pdf

·         World Health Organization (WHO).  Valuable information on EVD.  http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/

·         CDC Safety Training Course for Healthcare Workers Going to West Africa in Response to the 2014 Ebola Outbreak.  http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/safety-training-course/index.html

·         Travel advisories for the listed prospective country:  Sierra Leone http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/ebola-sierra-leone, Liberia http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/ebola-liberia, Guinea http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/ebola-guinea and Nigeria http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/ebola-nigeria.

·         Facts About Bushmeat and Ebola.  http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/bushmeat-and-ebola.pdf

 

Sources:

Allela, Loïs, Bourry, Olivier, Pouillot, Régis, Délicat, André, Yaba, Philippe, Kumulungui, Brice, Rouquet, Pierre, Gonzalez, Jean-Paul, Leroy, Eric M. (March 2005) “Ebola Virus Antibody Prevalence in Dogs and Human Risk.” Emerging Infectious Diseases. Vol 11 No. 3. Retrieved on October 10, 2014. Retrieved from http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/3/pdfs/04-0981.pdf

Nadeau, Barbie Latza. (October 9, 2014) “The Dog is Dead-And We’ll Never Know if He Had Ebola.” The Daily Beast. Retrieved on October 10, 2014.  Retrieved from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/09/the-dog-is-dead-and-we-ll-never-know-if-he-had-ebola.html.