The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has reared it’s head in a previously unaffected district in the western African Country of Guinea, according to the latest update from the World Health Organization (WHO) Saturday.

Three cases were detected in the Telimele district of the Kindia Region of Guinea. In addition to these cases, Guinea has reported eight news cases in total along with three fatalities bringing the  total number of clinical cases of EVD to 258, including 174 deaths.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

he WHO says the situation in Liberia and Sierra Leone continues to be stable with no new cases being reported. Social mobilization and surveillance activities are on-going. The current Ebola outbreak in Guinea began in February and first confirmed in March of this year.

EVD was first recognized in 1976 and was named after a river in the Congo. It received a lot of popular attention thanks to the best-seller, “The Hot Zone”.

Infections with Ebola virus are acute. There is nocarrier state. Because the natural reservoir of the virus is unknown, the manner in which the virus first appears in a human at the start of an outbreak has not been determined.

People can be exposed to Ebola virus from direct contact with the blood and/or secretions of an infected person. Thus, the virus is often spread through families and friends because they come in close contact with such secretions when caring for infected persons. People can also be exposed to Ebola virus through contact with objects, such as needles, that have been contaminated with infected secretions.

The incubation period for EVD ranges from 2 to 21 days. The onset of illness is abrupt and is characterized by fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. A rash, red eyes, hiccups and internal and external bleeding may be seen in some patients.

The death rate for EVD can be up to 90%. There is no standard treatment for EVD. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page