Ebola continues to surprise researchers — 5 takeaways

Researchers have discovered Ebola is far more complicated than they initially thought, according to USA Today.

Here are five takeaways:

1. Based on data on outbreaks in Africa, the fatality rates for the diseases ranged from 25 percent to 90 percent. However, this data is limited in that the patients in Africa have reduced access to quality medical care. In the United States, eight out of 10 Ebola patients survived in 2014.

2. Medical professionals in the United States and Europe saved the majority of their patients through aggressive "supportive care" in the ICU, which consisted of closely monitoring the patient's blood pressure and electrolytes in addition to administering intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration. There are no approved drugs or vaccines for Ebola as of now.

3. Ebola does not always result in massive bleeding and the disease is similar to cholera. Although Ebola is not transmitted like cholera, Ebola often causes diarrhea and vomiting.

4. Ebola can be sexually transmitted. A Liberian woman contracted Ebola after engaging in sexual intercourse with an Ebola survivor. The CDC found the woman did not have any other contact with Ebola. Because the diseases can survive in semen for months after men recover from the illness, physicians advise male survivors to undergo semen testing three months after they leave the hospital.

5. The illness may cause serious complications for survivors. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 25 percent of survivors have eye complications and half of survivors have joint pain.

More articles on quality & infection control:
CDDEP released report on limiting antibiotic overuse and misuse — 6 facts
U.S. trails behind other countries in healthcare quality — 4 points
Institute of Medicine releases new report on patient safety: 3 key points

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