THE Ebola Virus is essentially transmitted from human-to-human through
direct contact with infected patients, or through contact with body
fluids of a victim. However, scientists are not ruling out the
possibility of transmission by air through aerosolised particles.
Previously,
Canadian scientists have shown that the deadliest form of the Ebola
virus (the Zaire Ebola) could be transmitted by air between species.
Although no human over-ther-air transmission of the lethal viral
disorder has been recorded, but the Patrick Sawyer incidence in Lagos,
Nigeria, has reopened worries over the implications of the possibility
of its transmission in an enclosed environment such as an aircraft
cabin.
Transmissible from pigs to monkeys by air Studies show
that the Ebola virus is transmissible to monkeys from infected pigs
without them coming into direct contact. The Ebola virus survives for
days outside infected hosts and can “ride” on aerosolised droplets to
spread to potential victims.
In a demonstration of the infectious
dose of the Ebola virus, the Public Health Agency of Canada says 1 – 10
aerosolised organisms are sufficient to cause infection in humans.
In
demonstrating the transmission from pigs to monkeys without any direct
contact between them, the scientists housed the pigs carrying the virus
in pens with the monkeys in close proximity but separated by a wire
barrier. After eight days, some of the macaques (monkeys) were showing
clinical signs typical of ebola and were euthanised.
According to
the Canadian Public Health Agency: “The virus can survive in liquid or
dried material for a number of days. Infectivity is found to be stable
at room temperature or at 4 degrees celsius for several days, and
indefinitely stable at -70 degrees celsius . Infectivity can be
preserved by lyophilisation.
Hence, it is implied that Ebola
viruses can survive for several days on common objects such as door
knobs or household surfaces. If an infected Ebola victim runs around
touching such common objects after cleaning blood or mucous from his
nose, another innocent victim can easily infect himself by touching the
same objects and then eating some food that places the virus in his
mouth.
Level 4 biohazard
Ebola, considered a level-4
biohazard, is very infectious, requiring special protective biohazard
suits, containment Level 4 facilities, equipment, and operational
practices for work involving infectious or potentially infectious
materials, animals, and cultures. To date, according to the World Health
Organisation, the Ebola virus has caused 1,323 cases of the disease and
729 deaths–a mortality rate of 55%
