health authorities of São Paulo and the Rio de Janeiro investigate two suspected cases of Ebola. The patients have recently been to African countries.
In , the Adolfo Lutz Institute informed the CNN Brazil than man. In Rio, the patient received a .
Even so, the two remain under observation until suspicions of the Ebola virus are ruled out.
São Paulo case
The traveler from São Paulo is 37 years old and was recently in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country that is facing a .
The man is isolated at the Emilio Ribas Institute, a reference in treating infectious cases, under the prescribed biosafety protocols.
On Saturday night (30), he was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by the Adolfo Lutz Institute. Even so, clinical tests continue to be carried out to rule out the presence of the Ebola virus.
The Ministry of Health said, in a note sent to CNN Brazilthan in an Emergency Care Unit (UPA), where the case was initially investigated as malaria.
“Upon arriving at the reference unit, he was in serious condition, with disorientation and rapid clinical worsening, requiring intubation”, says the note.
The agency also stated that it was notified about the situation and that measures were adopted. measures provided for in the National Contingency Plan for cases of possible viral infection.
“There is laboratory confirmation of the bacteria that causes meningococcal meningitis by the Adolfo Lutz Institute, within the differential diagnosis process. Still, the investigation for Ebola remains in progress until the specific analyzes are completed”, said Regiane de Paula, Health coordinator of the SES-SP Disease Control Coordination, on Saturday night (30).
Rio de Janeiro case
The patient admitted to Rio came from Uganda, a country that shares a border with Brazil and has registered a . His age was not disclosed and he presented symptoms such as diarrhea, chills and cough, and was subjected to the safety protocol for care and isolation until he receives a conclusive diagnosis.
This case was diagnosed as malaria, but he remains in isolation at the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases, until clinical tests rule out Ebola.
The SES-RJ Epidemiological Surveillance, together with the state’s Health Surveillance, is retracing the man’s steps to map people who may have had contact with him.
How is Ebola transmitted?
O Ebola virus can be transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of someone infected, including animals and corpses, or from contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. These fluids can be: blood, feces, vomit, urine, saliva, vaginal fluid, semen, tears and sweat.
The risk of contagion from the disease is much lower compared to Covid-19, for example, as the Ebola virus is not transmitted through the air. This makes the risks of a new pandemic small.
Another thing that makes the risk of contagion lower is that, with Ebola, there is no transmission during the incubation period. The infection generally becomes transmissible from the moment the patient already shows symptoms, which facilitates contact tracing and disease control.
“The outbreak is worrying, but the pandemic risk equal to that of Covid is small. This time, the outbreak took a long time to be detected because the United Nations suffered a dismantling of program resources in Africa,” said infectious disease doctor Mirian Dal Ben, from Hospital Sírio-Libanês, in a recent interview with CNN Brazil.
Ebola patients may experience symptoms between 2 and 21 days after infection, which may include fever, body aches and fatigue. As the infection progresses, the illness typically causes diarrhea, vomiting and unexplained bleeding.
How can you prevent Ebola?
As there is not yet, the recommendation is to avoid contact with animals or sick people who may have the virus. The main measures, according to the Ministry of Health, are:
- Avoid outbreak areas;
- Wash your hands frequently;
- Avoid contact with infected people;
- Do not handle bodies of infected people.
