2014年美國境內伊波拉病毒感染事件概述

Experience with the First Indigenous Case of Ebola Virus Infection in the United States of America

伊波拉病毒疾病起源於1976年的剛果共和國與蘇丹薩伊。伊波拉病毒不像流行性感冒病毒經由飛沫傳染，儘管得接觸感染者血、體液才會造成感染，卻造成大眾的恐慌。疾病的起始症狀為發燒、肌肉痠痛、疲倦、頭痛與喉嚨痛等非特意症狀，但是跟隨而來的嘔吐、腹瀉、皮疹與出血如牙齦、眼睛、口及腸胃道等能導致嚴重脫水與器官衰竭。潛伏期可以長達21天，疾病出現症狀開始造成傳染，可以透過含有病毒的血液與體液造成疾病傳播。

Ebola virus disease first appeared in 1976, resulting in two outbreaks: one in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the other in Nzara, Sudan. Ebola is a viral illness; it is not airborne, like the flu. Although very close direct contact with an infected person is required for virus transmission, public panic occurs easily. The early symptoms are sudden fever, myalgia, fatigue, headache, and a sore throat. Later stages of illness include vomiting, diarrhea, a rash, and bleeding, which can be observed in the gums, eyes, mouth, and stool. It can take up to 21 days for symptoms to present in infected humans. Until the symptoms develop, infected individuals are not infectious. Sick persons are infectious as long as the virus in present in their blood and body fluids.