The 5 signs of Ebola you need to know as UK doctors told to be on high alert
EBOLA is a deadly disease and doctors in the UK have been put on high alert after an outbreak in Uganda claimed the lives of 10 people.
Medics said the risk to Brits remains 'very low' and that there are currently no cases of the illness confirmed in the UK.
Uganda has been hit by the Sudan strain of the deadly virus, for which there is currently no proven vaccine.
There have been 43 confirmed cases in the country, with four health workers among the 10 people confirmed to have died.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says it’s currently monitoring the outbreak of the disease.
A public health alert has been issued urging healthcare professionals to look out for symptoms in patients who have recently returned from affected areas.
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With that in mind, the key five symptoms you need to know include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Sore throat
- Weakness
These symptoms will usually present at the start of the illness. They are similar to other illnesses, such as Covid-19 and the flu, which is why cases are sometimes missed.
If the illness develops you may also experience symptoms such as:
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Dr Meera Chand, UKHSA Director of Clinical and Emerging Infection, said: “UKHSA constantly monitors emerging infection threats in collaboration with partners across the world.
"We are aware of an outbreak of Ebola cases in Uganda and are monitoring the situation closely. The risk to the public in the UK is very low.”
Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed more than 200 people.
The current Ebola outbreak in central Uganda has a 69 per cent case fatality rate.
How is Ebola treated?
There is currently no licensed treatment or vaccine available in the UK.
Currently, the only vaccines available are for the Zaire strain of the virus and have been used to control outbreaks in Guinea and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
People who have the infection are treated in isolation in intensive care.
Ebola is very contagious and spreads through contact with the blood, body fluids or organs of a person or animal with the infection.
The disease cannot be caught through routine social contact such as shaking hands with people who do not have symptoms.
Ugandan scientists and their partners abroad are looking to test one of two possible vaccines against the Sudan strain, the World Health Organisation has said.
But the UN body said there are currently 100 doses of available.
Meanwhile, the US government has said it will be screening all travellers from Uganda for Ebola.
The Ebola virus disease - previously called Ebola haemorrhagic fever - is a viral infection that occurs in humans and primates.
It causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal when left untreated.
The virus begins with symptoms including fever, intense fatigue, muscle pain and a sore throat, before progressing to vomiting and diarrhoea as well as internal and external bleeding.
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The virus is part of the Filoviridae family, which also includes the Marburg virus.
It was first detected in regions close to the River Ebola, which gave the disease its name.