Generally, within a few days of infection a flu-like illness develops with a high fever, headache, muscle aches, stomach pain, fatigue, and diarrhea. Some individuals may also develop a sore throat, red and itchy eyes, the hiccups, and a rash. Accompanying these symptoms is blood in the vomit and diarrhea. Within one week the symptoms worsen and include chest pain, internal bleeding, and blindness, which may lead to shock and death. Death is fairly common in this disease, and usually is a result of the individual being unable to develop a high enough immune response to the Ebola virus.
Treatment is non-standardized and patients generally receive supportive therapy.
Supportive therapy includes IV fluids to maintain hydration, balance the body's electrolytes, and maintain blood pressure. The patient should be put on oxygen. Ebola virus suppresses the immune system by overloading it, so the patient is susceptible to secondary bacterial infections. These should be dealt with by the administration of antibiotic as soon as the bacterial infection becomes apparent. A controversial treatment has recently been developed and tested on a small group of individuals.