ould be done promptly. These include a blood film examination for malaria and a blood culture. If the suspected patient has bloody diarrhea, a stool culture should also be performed. What laboratory tests are used to diagnose Ebola hemorrhagic fever? Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing, IgGELISA, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and virus isolation can be used to diagnose a case of Ebola HF within a few days of the onset of symptoms. Persons testedlater in the course of the disease or after recovery can be tested for IgM and IgG antibodies; the disease can also be diagnosed retrospectively in deceased patients by using immunohistochemistry testing, virus isolation, or PCR. How is Ebola hemorrhagic fever treated? There is no standard treatment for Ebola HF. Currently, patients receive supportive therapy. This consists of balancing the patients fluids and electrolytes, maintaining their oxygen status and blood pressure, and treating them for any complicating infections. During a large outbreak of Ebola HF in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 1995, eight patients were given blood of individuals who had been infected with Ebola virus but who had recovered. Seven of the eight patient survived. However, because the study size was small, and because the characteristics of the participants predisposed them towards recovery, the efficacy of the treatment remains unknown. How is Ebola hemorrhagic fever prevented? The prevention of Ebola HF in Africa presents many challenges. Because the identity and location of the natural reservoir of Ebola virus are unknown, there are few established primary prevention measures. If cases of the disease do appear, current social and economic conditions favor the spread of an epidemic within health-care facilities. Therefore, health-care providers must be able to recognize a case of Ebola HF should one appear. They must also have the capability to perform diagnostic tests...
