• Question: What are the symptoms of Ebola?

    Asked by Pespona to Ceri, Marikka, Matt, Rob, Sally on 10 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Robert Hampson

      Robert Hampson answered on 10 Nov 2014:


      Google tells me that the symptoms are:

      Nausea and vomiting.
      Diarrhoea (may be bloody)
      Red eyes.
      Raised rash.
      Chest pain and cough.
      Stomach pain.
      Severe weight loss.
      Bleeding, usually from the eyes, and bruising (people near death may bleed from other orifices, such as ears, nose and rectum)

    • Photo: Marikka Beecroft

      Marikka Beecroft answered on 10 Nov 2014:


      In the beginning stages of infection, Ebola symptoms are similar to the symptoms of flu but are more extreme: intense muscle pain, joint and muscle pain, sore throat, headache and fever. Later on in the infection the whites of the eyes will get blood shot, rashes will form, bleeding and bruising will occur and there may be stomach pain and diarrhea. It’s not very pleasant!

    • Photo: Sally Cutler

      Sally Cutler answered on 10 Nov 2014:


      Hi, the early signs are rather general and non-specific: fever, headache, red eyes, aches, weakness, diarrhoea, sore throat, vomiting, skin rash, bleeding. Later severe haemorrhagic signs (bleeding in about 50%), systemic shock and death. Not a nice way to go.

    • Photo: Ceri Dare

      Ceri Dare answered on 10 Nov 2014:


      The first sign is a high temperature, so at my hospital anybody with a temperature who has been to the affected area would be immediately rushed into a special isolation room, until we can do blood tests to look for the virus.

      You can read more here: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/Ebola/symptoms/index.html

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