Dear Friends,
Ebola is deadlier than AIDS.
Everyone must be aware of it. Though this blog is devoted to exam and jobs,
every human being must know about it. The scientist who discovered the Ebola
virus from a blood sample of a dying Catholic nun way back in 1976 in Congo
warns that the latest outbreak
is caused by the deadliest strain of the virus - 9 out of 10 infected will die from it. In an exclusive interview to TOI's Kounteya Sinha, professor Peter Piot, who was 27-years-old when he made the discovery and is now the director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine says the present outbreak is the largest and the longest ever and could soon see it spread across the world including India.
How did you discover the virus? Recall for us the path to the discovery.
The virus was isolated from blood samples from a nun who was suspected of having yellow fever in Zaire (now called Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1976. The sample was sent to Antwerp, Belgium, where we applied regular virus isolation techniques. It became clear this was a new virus and this was also confirmed by a team at CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the US. We then went to the epidemic zone to investigate how the virus was transmitted and to try to stop the epidemic.
How deadly is the virus?
There are four types of Ebola virus that infect humans. The most deadly is this strain from the current epidemic, known as the 'Zaire strain'. 9 out of 10 people who have it die.
How serious is the outbreak at present? Do you think it could become a mass killer if exported outside Africa?
It is the largest ever, the longest ever, the first one that involves three countries, the first one that involves cases in capitals and it is disrupting entire societies, not only because of the deaths, but also hospitals stop functioning, commerce comes to a halt and then there's the panic and fear.
Ebola outbreaks are always happening in a context of poverty, dysfunctional health services with poor infection control and hygiene practices. If someone with Ebola is admitted to such an environment anywhere in the world, that will give rise to outbreaks.
How is this virus unique from other viruses?
Ebola is part of a small group of viruses that kills infected people within a couple of weeks. It has a very high mortality, much like rabies.
What according to you should Africa do to control this outbreak?
The classic ways to contain an Ebola outbreak are straightforward because the virus can only be transmitted in two ways: through close contact with someone who is ill from Ebola, and through contaminated needles and injections. Not reusing needles and syringes is something health officials in India should be very aware of. To control the spread, you should isolate patients, in what they call barrier nursing, so that healthcare workers don't become infected. Also surveillance of all people who have had contact with Ebola patients should be carried out. And ensuring safe burial practices or safe preparation of the body for funeral is critical, as coming in to contact with the contaminated body of someone who has died from Ebola is how many people become infected. This all requires a strong community engagement, listening to people and making sure that local community leaders are involved in the response.
Should countries be worried about importing it? India has started checking passengers for Ebola symptoms in its airports. Is that a right move?
With ever growing mobility of people and travel, it's not unlikely that people during the incubation period of Ebola - which is between 2 and 21 days after infection - may go to another country. Someone who has a full blown Ebola infection would not travel as they'd be too sick. The critical thing is to make sure that when you see a patient with the early symptoms of Ebola (like fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, which are so common), is to ask 'where have you been in the last month?'. This should be done by health officials in India. If the patient's answer is that they've just come from an infected country, such as Sierra Leone, then you have to be really alert. That patient should be referred to specialised units where they can deal with highly contagious diseases. I don't think checking passengers for fever and so on at airports has been proven to stop import of the virus. The most important thing that India can do is to make sure that all healthcare workers, from nurses to GPs to doctors, know about Ebola and take a patient's travel history to check if they have been in an infected country in the last month.
Who are those most at risk of getting infected?
Healthcare workers and anybody who cares for a sick patient, such as relatives, are at risk of getting infected. Another risk is for those people attending funerals of the victims in Africa, or involved with the preparation of the dead bodies for burial.
is caused by the deadliest strain of the virus - 9 out of 10 infected will die from it. In an exclusive interview to TOI's Kounteya Sinha, professor Peter Piot, who was 27-years-old when he made the discovery and is now the director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine says the present outbreak is the largest and the longest ever and could soon see it spread across the world including India.
How did you discover the virus? Recall for us the path to the discovery.
The virus was isolated from blood samples from a nun who was suspected of having yellow fever in Zaire (now called Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1976. The sample was sent to Antwerp, Belgium, where we applied regular virus isolation techniques. It became clear this was a new virus and this was also confirmed by a team at CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the US. We then went to the epidemic zone to investigate how the virus was transmitted and to try to stop the epidemic.
How deadly is the virus?
There are four types of Ebola virus that infect humans. The most deadly is this strain from the current epidemic, known as the 'Zaire strain'. 9 out of 10 people who have it die.
How serious is the outbreak at present? Do you think it could become a mass killer if exported outside Africa?
It is the largest ever, the longest ever, the first one that involves three countries, the first one that involves cases in capitals and it is disrupting entire societies, not only because of the deaths, but also hospitals stop functioning, commerce comes to a halt and then there's the panic and fear.
Ebola outbreaks are always happening in a context of poverty, dysfunctional health services with poor infection control and hygiene practices. If someone with Ebola is admitted to such an environment anywhere in the world, that will give rise to outbreaks.
How is this virus unique from other viruses?
Ebola is part of a small group of viruses that kills infected people within a couple of weeks. It has a very high mortality, much like rabies.
What according to you should Africa do to control this outbreak?
The classic ways to contain an Ebola outbreak are straightforward because the virus can only be transmitted in two ways: through close contact with someone who is ill from Ebola, and through contaminated needles and injections. Not reusing needles and syringes is something health officials in India should be very aware of. To control the spread, you should isolate patients, in what they call barrier nursing, so that healthcare workers don't become infected. Also surveillance of all people who have had contact with Ebola patients should be carried out. And ensuring safe burial practices or safe preparation of the body for funeral is critical, as coming in to contact with the contaminated body of someone who has died from Ebola is how many people become infected. This all requires a strong community engagement, listening to people and making sure that local community leaders are involved in the response.
Should countries be worried about importing it? India has started checking passengers for Ebola symptoms in its airports. Is that a right move?
With ever growing mobility of people and travel, it's not unlikely that people during the incubation period of Ebola - which is between 2 and 21 days after infection - may go to another country. Someone who has a full blown Ebola infection would not travel as they'd be too sick. The critical thing is to make sure that when you see a patient with the early symptoms of Ebola (like fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, which are so common), is to ask 'where have you been in the last month?'. This should be done by health officials in India. If the patient's answer is that they've just come from an infected country, such as Sierra Leone, then you have to be really alert. That patient should be referred to specialised units where they can deal with highly contagious diseases. I don't think checking passengers for fever and so on at airports has been proven to stop import of the virus. The most important thing that India can do is to make sure that all healthcare workers, from nurses to GPs to doctors, know about Ebola and take a patient's travel history to check if they have been in an infected country in the last month.
Who are those most at risk of getting infected?
Healthcare workers and anybody who cares for a sick patient, such as relatives, are at risk of getting infected. Another risk is for those people attending funerals of the victims in Africa, or involved with the preparation of the dead bodies for burial.
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