The first outbreak of Ebola Virus Infection occurred in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed in the same year by one in Sudan. Because the first outbreak occurred near the Ebola River in the DRC, the disease is named Ebola Fever and the agent which causes it Ebola Virus.
Since 1976, this appears to be the first time, the fatal form of the disease has broken out in West Africa. Because the human traffic in the sub-region is high, the disease can easily spread.
The disease is described as a haemorrhagic fever  because occasionally, the fever is accompanied by external and internal bleeding.

With the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Fever epidemic in West Africa have come several myths about the causes and cure. Ebola fever has no cure and no vaccine has been developed. Consequently prevention is key. Below are some facts about the disease.

1.Incubation period is 2 to 21 days.
The time between when someone is infected by the virus and when he/she begins to have symptoms of the disease is called the incubation period. The incubation period of Ebola fever is 2 to 21 days, after 21 days without showing any sign means the person is free.

2.Ebola fever spreads through contact with body fluids.
Ebola fever spreads through contact with the body fluids of infected person or animal
Body fluids that may contain Ebola virus: sweat/saliva/nasal discharge/tears/ Blood/vomit/stool/semen.
The virus enters the body through broken skin, eyes, vagina, nostrils and mouth.

3.Ebola fever can be contracted through sex
Even when a man has recovered from Ebola Virus fever infection, the semen still contains the virus for about seven (7) weeks after and he can pass the virus to the spouse through sex during this period

4.Bitter kola DOES NOT cure Ebola Fever
Some research was done some years ago on the possible use of bitter kola in the treatment of Ebola fever by Prof. Maurice Iwu but the research is very far from conclusion. Further work is required. Therefore bitter kola is not a cure for Ebola fever.

5.Ebola fever is NOT airborne
Ebola fever is not an airborne disease, that is, the virus is not carried by air from one person to the other. However if you are within about 3 feet from an infected and that person sneezes or coughs and the droplets land in your nostrils, you could contract the disease.

6.Salt water bath DOES NOT cure Ebola fever.
Salt water bath does not cure the disease and there is no scientific basis to think so. The virus is present in body fluids including sweat but the virus causes its damage within the body not on the surface of the skin, the infected bleeds into the skin and under the skin resulting in swellings. So bathing with salt water cannot have any curative effect on the illness.

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