What Is Ebola?
9. How Is It Diagnosed?
Because many of the symptoms of Ebola virus disease are similar to malaria, influenza and typhoid fever, health care professionals look not only for signs of the virus but also for recent possible exposure. The current diagnostic method is called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR. This laboratory test is reasonably reliable, particularly later on as the virus continues to spread through the patient’s body.
Once an individual is diagnosed, it’s recommended that he or she is quarantined and put under intense medical supervision. Cases can spread rapidly and symptoms can become extreme in just a few days. Intensive care is essential for protecting not only the individual but also the local community from the spread of the virus. Health care professionals typically treat all related symptoms in affected areas as serious until a test can be taken. Every potential case needs to be isolated until a test can determine whether an individual is at risk of spreading the virus.
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