Risk Assessment: Tools, Techniques, and Their Applications

20.5 Ebola Example

Ebola virus is one of the three viruses that are described to cause acute hemorrhagic fever, which has a high mortality, and belongs to the family Filoviridae. In Filoviridae, there are four subspecies found in four regions, three of which are found in Africa, the fourth is found in the Philippines (6). There is multisystem involvement. Spread via aerosolized droplets is possible, but it is typically spread person to person through infected body fluids with mortality of up to 90%. Temperatures are usually >38.3°C, and the afflicted will usually develop DIC. Contact with those who have died from these viruses can lead to infection.

The only treatment that is currently available is supportive, although ribavirin has been utilized, but there is no sufficient data at this time supporting this treatment. There is no known effective vaccine.