A 'Symptoms Of Ebola' Mural In Monrovia, Liberia
A man walks by a mural that reads "Symptoms of Ebola" in Monrovia, Liberia, October 12, 2014. Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever, has killed more than 4,000 people since March in an epidemic centered around Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Reuters/James Giahyue

The first victim of the Ebola virus reportedly died on Oct 8, 2014 and was subsequently cremated. The patient showed symptoms of the disease four days after returning to the U.S. from West Africa. The man was in Dallas, Texas when he was diagnosed.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the first person to be diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus in the U.S.had sought medical attention at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas. After examining his symptoms a test confirmed the disease. He was reportedly isolated and public health officials are said to have identified people who had close contact with the patient.

The patient is said to have not shown any symptoms of the Ebola virus until four days after reaching the U.S. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said that the passengers who were travelling along with the patient on the commercial airline need not to worry because a person can only transfer the virus after the symptoms start to show.

The symptoms of Ebola include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain and unexplained bleeding or bruising. Persons who have visited West Africa recently or have been in contact with people who have travelled to the region should watch for the symptoms.

The virus spreads when a person comes in direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids of a person who has contracted the virus. The bodily fluids can be urine, saliva, sweat, faeces, vomit, breast milk and semen. It can also be contracted by coming in contact with needles and syringes infected with the virus.

So far there has been no reported evidence to suggest that the Ebola virus spreads through air, water or food. Mosquitoes are also reportedly not carriers of the virus. The only known animals to have been infected with the virus are bats, monkeys and apes.

Readers should note that bats are a local delicacy in West Africa. The officials in the African nation of Guinea have reportedly banned the consumption of bat soup after the outbreak of the Ebola virus. According to WHO, the fatality rate of the Ebola virus have varied between 25% and 90% in the past outbreaks.