• The virus can attack all organs in the body which leads to internal and external bleeding from wounds.
• This can lead to death from organ failure and loss of more than 20 per cent of blood or fluid supply.
Uganda on Tuesday announced an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Mubende District.
The confirmed case is a 24-year-old male who succumbed to the disease.
The case has sent many people into a panic mode with some not even aware of what such a report means for them.
Ebola is not new in Kenya and even Africa at large.
The Ebola Virus Disease (EDV) is caused by a virus which mostly affects people.
The virus was first discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan.
Between 1979 and 1994 no cases or outbreaks were detected.
However, since that time, there has been an increasing frequency of outbreaks.
While the name Ebola could be known to many, details of how the disease hits the body is a mystery to a majority of people.
Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness and can be fatal if left untreated according to World Health Organization.
It spreads from human to human when one comes in direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who has Ebola
Symptoms of Ebola take two to 21 days to incubate after exposure to the virus.
The illness progresses from “dry” symptoms initially (such as fever, aches and pains, and fatigue), and then progresses to “wet” symptoms (such as diarrhoea and vomiting) as the person becomes sicker.
The Ebola virus attacks the immune system affecting white blood cells.
The infected blood cells transport the virus in the body.
The virus can attack all organs in the body which leads to internal and external bleeding from wounds.
This can lead to death from organ failure and loss of more than 20 per cent of blood or fluid supply.