Infectious disease caused by a Filovirus; a virus of the same family as Ebola virus. It is a very rare disease, with cases reported in central sub-Saharan and West Africa.
It is transmitted by contact with the blood or fluids of other infected people. It can also be transmitted by contact with animals, such as bats and/or monkeys.
It initially manifests with non-specific symptoms such as high fever, chills, severe fatigue and headache. They may be accompanied by back pain, muscle pain, difficulty swallowing, stomach pain, vomiting, loss of appetite and diarrhoea. The infection progresses rapidly, causing bleeding (gums, nose, anus, etc.) that can lead to haemorrhagic shock, organ failure and death of the infected person.
The disease should be suspected when questioning a person with symptoms, who may have been in contact with an infected patient or who may have been bitten by a bat. A blood test may detect anaemia, low white blood cells, low clotting factors and low platelets. It will be confirmed by detecting specific RNA sequences of the virus in the blood.
There is no specific treatment. Life support measures should be initiated as soon as possible to control the haemorrhagic shock phase. At the moment there is no vaccine and those available for Ebola virus are not effective.
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