What Is Ebola Virus?
3. How Is Ebola Diagnosed?
Diagnosing Ebola virus is challenging, especially in the early stages. The primary symptoms of fever, weakness and headache are not unique to the infection. Typhoid and malaria are more common, meaning that unless a doctor has reason to believe a patient is suffering from Ebola, they may favor alternate diagnoses. However, if a patient mentions coming into contact with an infected person or animal, the physician is likely to ask for additional testing.
If a doctor suspects a person of exposure to the Ebola virus, the medical facility will place the patient in isolation before performing additional testing and blood work. Blood tests are one of the most reliable and only ways to test for and confirm an Ebola diagnosis. A polymerase chain reaction is another common diagnostic tool. The PCR test can measure low levels of the Ebola virus in the blood.
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