Ayurveda Approach to Ebola Virus Disease

The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated. Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in 1976. It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts. Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest. It can be difficult to distinguish EVD from other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever and meningitis. Prevention is the best treatment: As far as we know, this virus is transmitted through bodily fluids and it is not air borne. If one is not going to contract this virus in flying or sitting next to Ebola infected person, unless come in contact with blood, vomits, stool, urine or get injected with infected needle, then he or she will not affected. Healthy nutrition is the best way to keep immune system boosted. Group of studies and others like them are recognizing the central role of the immune system in survival for an infection like Ebola, which has no apparent clinical cure, natural reinforcement of the immune system may represent an oasis of hope in the desert of fear and panic. Exercise is an important foundation of health. Exercising supports the immune system through its physiological and mechanical effects on the body. Ayurveda is the ancient science of health. The word Ebola is obviously not mentioned in the AtharvaVeda, however, the sign and symptoms that we see today in ebola hemorrhagic fever are the same as the disease called Raktasthiwi Sannipat (Raktasthiwi Sannipat). Rakta means ‘blood’, ‘sthiwan’ means ‘to spit out’, and ‘sannipat’ means the involvement of a different dosha, which is usually a complicated type of disease; difficult to cure and sometimes incurable too. Herbal support is the next line of protection that adds to the benefits of daily activity. Ayurveda offers a wide range of herbs called rasayana. According to the Ayurvedic theory, rasayana herbs are rejuvenative medicines that promote health at all tissue levels of the body. Amla, Emblica officinalis, is one of the more popular rasayana All the above discussion based on Ayurvedic textual references inspires to author to go for further review on treatment of Ebola Virus Disease as well as other fatal diseases with Ayurveda. This will lead to lower morbidity and mortality rate due to many viral or other infective disease. Authors made an attempt to emphasize that the Ayurveda herbs may play a vital role for the treatment / management of EVD.