Viral Haemorrhagic Fever, or ebola virus disease. A usually fatal infection caused by a virus related to that of marburg disease. Two large outbreaks were recorded in 1976 (one in the Sudan and one in Zaire), with a mortality, respectively, of 50 and 80 per cent, and the disease reappeared in the Sudan in 1979. After an incubation period of 7—14 days, the onset is with headache of increasing severity, and fever. This is followed by diarrhoea, extensive internal bleeding and vomiting. Death usually occurs on the eighth to ninth day. Infection is by person-to-person contact. Serum from patients convalescing from the disease is a useful source of antibodies to the virus.
Illnesses that are widespread in Africa and lead to significant bleeding are referred to as hemorrhagic diseases. Among these are various types, such as Ebola fever, Lassa fever, Hantavirus, and Marburg fever. These conditions often result in fatal outcomes for a significant portion of affected individuals. However, in the case of Lassa fever, there might be a possibility of responding positively to antiviral medications if administered within the initial week of infection.