Survival in the Environment
According to the CDC, under ideal conditions where there is organic material (such as blood), the Ebola virus was show to survive up to 6 days in the environment. But these viruses are susceptible to drying, UV and disinfectants. (I is important to point out that there have been limited studies.)
That said, without organic material, it will die off quickly, so it is not likely to be present on doorknobs and light switches or other items that people simply touch (without blood or other organic residue).
How does this compare to Norovirus which can survive in the environment for weeks to months? There are two categories of viruses - non-enveloped and enveloped. All viruses are comprised of by genetic material within a protein structure or capsid....but enveloped viruses also have a lipid envelope surrounding that protein capsid while the non-enveloped virus do not. Ebola is an enveloped virus, and that outer lipid layer, so important for attachment and entry to the cell, is more subject to environmental conditions. Norovirus, a non-enveloped virus, is more resistant.
Disinfection
According to the CDC, Use a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered hospital disinfectant with a label claim for a non-enveloped virus (e.g., norovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus, poliovirus) to disinfect environmental surfaces in rooms of patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus infection. Although there are no products with specific label claims against the Ebola virus, enveloped viruses such as Ebola are susceptible to a broad range of hospital disinfectants used to disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces.
Basically, if it is good against the more hardy viruses like Norovirus, it will be fine against Ebola.
Transmission
From the CDC Website (below)
When an infection does occur in humans, the virus can be spread in several ways to others. Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with
- blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola
- objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus
- infected animals
- Ebola is not spread through the air or by water, or in general, by food. However, in Africa, Ebola may be spread as a result of handling bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. There is no evidence that mosquitos or other insects can transmit Ebola virus. Only mammals (for example, humans, bats, monkeys, and apes) have shown the ability to become infected with and spread Ebola virus.
Symptoms
- Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
- Severe headache
- Muscle pain
- Weakness
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal (stomach) pain
- Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)
Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.
Recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 yrs
