Influenza and Ebola are two vastly different diseases, but both have a significant impact on public health. They differ in how they spread, how they present, and how severe they can become, but one thing they have in common is the importance of awareness and good preventive practices. Let’s examine what makes these diseases unique and how they can be controlled.
Influenza: A Seasonal Challenge
The flu, or influenza, is a widespread contagious disease that primarily involves the nose, throat, and occasionally the lungs. Most people get the flu mildly, but the flu can result in serious complications and even death, particularly among individuals who are more susceptible.
Symptoms and Onset
The symptoms of the flu usually arrive quickly. You could all of a sudden get feverish, chilled, achy, fatigued, or develop a cough, sore throat, or runny nose. Some individuals, particularly children, may also experience vomiting or diarrhea. But this is the catch — not all people with the flu become ill. Studies have determined that certain individuals who are positive never develop symptoms, and that complicates the process of preventing the spread of the virus.
Typically, symptoms appear one to four days after exposure. The majority of individuals can begin spreading the virus a day before they feel ill, and they may remain contagious for seven days. For young children or immunocompromised individuals, that contagious time frame may be longer.
Who’s Most at Risk?
Although anyone can get the flu, some groups are more likely to become seriously ill from it. These include older adults, young children, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease.
How It Spreads
The flu is transmitted primarily by small droplets when you cough, sneeze, or speak. If the droplets fall into another person’s mouth or nose, they become infected. At times, the virus can be transmitted if you come into contact with something carrying the virus and then touch your face.
Prevention and Treatment
The safest way to guard against the flu is to get a flu vaccination annually. If you do become ill, antiviral drugs may make your symptoms milder and could reduce the duration of your illness, but they’re most effective if you begin taking them soon.
Ebola: A Rare but Severe Threat
Ebola is a whole different type of sickness. It’s not common but very serious, with mortality rates varying between 25% and 90%, depending on the outbreak.
Origins and Transmission
Ebola was initially recognized back in 1976 with outbreaks in what are now South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It’s named after the Ebola River, which is close to one of the first outbreak points.
The virus is believed by experts to have natural hosts in fruit bats. Ebola can infect people through direct contact with infected animals’ organs, secretions, or blood, such as bats, forest antelopes, or monkeys. After a person has been infected, the virus can infect other people through contact with blood and other bodily fluids or through contaminated objects. One should be informed that individuals suffering from Ebola are not contagious as long as they do not have symptoms.
Symptoms and Progression
Symptoms typically occur between 2 and 21 days after exposure. Initially, individuals tend to have fever, tiredness, muscle pain, and sore throat. As the illness progresses, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and kidney and liver dysfunction can occur. Although bleeding is common with Ebola, it does not occur in all cases and typically appears later in the disease.
Managing and Preventing Ebola
The earlier Ebola is treated, the higher the survival chances. Supportive care, such as maintaining the patient’s hydration and symptom management, can significantly contribute. Certain treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies (e.g., mAb114 and REGN-EB3), have been licensed for Ebola virus disease, but there are no licensed treatments as yet for other forms of Ebola viruses, such as Sudan or Bundibugyo.
Prevention depends on good public health efforts. Basic practices like proper burial of infected people, preventing hospital-borne infection, and immunizing communities where immunizations are possible go a long way. Educating the population as to how this virus is spread — and how to keep oneself safe from it — will enable prevention to intercept outbreaks before they become out of hand.
A Shared Need for Vigilance
Although influenza and Ebola are quite different, they both demonstrate just how crucial awareness of public health is. The cyclical nature of the flu means annual vaccination and early treatment are a necessity, whereas Ebola’s deadly nature necessitates rapid action and community collaboration when outbreak occurs. Educating ourselves about both diseases allows us to make intelligent steps to safeguard ourselves and others.
More for you: