How can you protect yourself from Ebola?

Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal disease, but there are several ways to protect yourself from becoming infected:

  1. Practice good hygiene: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your face, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
  2. Avoid contact with infected people: Ebola is primarily spread through contact with bodily fluids of infected people. Avoid close contact with people who are sick or have died from the disease.
  3. Wear protective clothing: If you must come into contact with infected people, wear protective clothing, such as gloves, gowns, masks, and goggles. Make sure the clothing is properly disposed of or disinfected after use.
  4. Practice safe burial practices: If you are involved in burying an Ebola victim, take appropriate precautions, such as wearing protective clothing and ensuring that the body is handled properly to avoid exposure to bodily fluids.
  5. Avoid handling bushmeat: Ebola can be transmitted to humans through handling or consuming infected animals, such as bats, monkeys, and antelopes. Avoid handling or consuming bushmeat.
  6. Stay informed: If you are traveling to areas where Ebola is known to be present, stay informed about the outbreak and take appropriate precautions.
  7. Sanitation and sterilization of the environment and instruments
  8. Identification and isolation of infected individuals from the community
  9. Tracing contacts, including those during the incubation period

There are now vaccines available to prevent infection. Although these vaccines have been proven safe and effective, more research is needed before these vaccines become widely available. Currently, they are reserved for those at highest risk during an Ebola outbreak, such as family members and close contacts of an infected person.

Remember, early detection and isolation of infected individuals is key to preventing the spread of the disease. If you experience any symptoms of Ebola, such as fever, headache, muscle pain, or vomiting, seek medical attention immediately.