rier is that Ebola falls into the category of filoviruses. Filoviruses are typically carried by rodents and arthropods (ticks, mosquitos). Symptoms of Ebola hemorrhagic fever begin 4 to 16 days after infection. Persons develop fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, and loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, sore throat, and chest pain can occur. The blood fails to clot and patients may bleed from injection sites as well as into the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and internal organs. Ebola virus is spread through close personal contact with a person who is very ill with the disease. In previous outbreaks, person-to-person spread frequently occurred among hospital care workers or family members who were caring for an ill person infected with Ebola virus. Transmission of the virus has also occurred as a result of hypodermic needles being reused in the treatment of patients. Reusing needles is a common practice in developing countries, such as Zaire and Sudan, where the health care system is underfinanced. Medical facilities in the United States do not reuse needles. Ebola virus can also be spread from person to person through sexual contact. Close personal contact with persons who are infected but show no signs of active disease is very unlikely to result in infection. Patients who have recovered from an illness caused by Ebola virus do not pose a serious risk for spreading the infection. However, the virus may be present in the genital secretions of such persons for a brief period after their recovery, and therefore it is possible they can spread the virus through sexual contact. A diagnosis is made by detection of Ebola antigens, antibody, or genetic material, or by culture of the virus from these sources. Diagnostic tests are usually performed on clinical specimens that have been treated to inactivate (kill) the virus. Research on Ebola virus must be done in a special high-containment laborator...
