Thursday, February, 09, 2012

Ebola hemorrhagic fever

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Ebola virus infection; Viral hemorrhagic fever


Symptoms

During the incubation period, which can last about 1 week, symptoms include:

  • Arthritis
  • Backache (low-back pain)
  • Chills
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Malaise
  • Nausea
  • Sore throat
  • Vomiting

Late symptoms include:

  • Bleeding from eyes, ears, and nose
  • Bleeding from the mouth and rectum (gastrointestinal bleeding)
  • Depression
  • Eye inflammation (conjunctivitis)
  • Genital swelling (labia and scrotum)
  • Increased feeling of pain in skin
  • Rash over the entire body that often contains blood (hemorrhagic)
  • Roof of mouth looks red
  • Seizures, coma, delirium

As many as 90% of patients die from the disease. Patients usually die from shock rather than from blood loss.


Signs and tests

There may be signs and symptoms of:

  • Coma
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation
  • Shock

Tests used to diagnose Ebola fever include:

  • CBC
  • Electrolytes
  • Tests of how well the blood will clot (coagulation studies)
  • Tests to show whether someone has been exposed to the Ebola virus

Review Date: 08/28/2009
Reviewed By: Linda Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)