1. Ebola Virus Disease: Occupational Safety and Health

2. Updated information and recommendations for Ebola Virus Disease (EDV). Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever, is a severe illness in humans. EVD outbreaks occur primarily in tropical countries in Central and West Africa

3. Epidemiology

4. Typical signs and symptoms: ( The majority of patients become symptomatic after 8-9 days) fever intense weakness muscle pains headache sore throat And is following by: After 1-2 days vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding

5. The origin of the virus is unknown but fruit bats are considered the likely natural reservoir

6. The incubation period, or the time interval from infection to onset of symptoms, is from 2 to 21 days. The patients become contagious once they begin to show symptoms. They are not contagious during the incubation period. EVD infections can only be confirmed through laboratory testing. Other diseases can have similar symptoms: malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, cholera, leptospirosis, plague, rickettsiosis, relapsing fever, meningitis, hepatitis and other viral haemorrhagic fevers.

7. Ways of transmission It is transmitted to people from dead or alive wild animals and can spread in the human population through human-to- human transmission. People become infected through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes such as lips, nostrils, mouth, eyes or genitals) with the blood, secretions, or other body fluids of a sick person, a person who has died from the disease or infected animals.

8. Ways of transmission People can also become infected from indirect contact by having broken skin or mucous membranes come in contact with materials or utensils contaminated with blood, secretions, or other body fluids from sick people and bodies (for example used gloves, masks, goggles, other medical waste, soiled clothes, bed linen, used needles and medical instruments).

9. Breast milksnot sweat Urine and stoolvomitus saliva tears Men who have recovered from the illness can still spread the virus to their partner through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery

10. Occupational health and safety risks Prevention Regular hand washing is required after daily activity.

12. Hand hygiene, (soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol when soap and water aren't available). Personal protective equipment because of the risk of splashes or other contact with infected materials (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles, a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown)

13. Rights, duties and responsibilities of workers and employers The employers are responsible for providing adequate information, comprehensive instruction and necessary training on occupational safety and health (OSH); consult workers on OSH aspects related with their work, and notify the labour inspectorate of cases of occupational diseases.

14. Tourists and visitors traveling avoiding contact with symptomatic patients and/or their bodily fluids avoiding contact with corpses and/or bodily fluids from deceased patients avoiding any form of close contact with wild animals (including monkeys/apes, fruit bats, forest antelopes, rodents and bats), both alive and dead, and consumption of any type of ‘bushmeat’ avoiding habitats which might be populated by bats such as caves, isolated shelters, or mining sites.

15. washing and peeling fruits and vegetables before consumption strictly practising ‘safe sex’ strictly following hand-washing routines animals should be handled with gloves and appropriate protective clothing, animal products (blood and meats) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.