The Ebola virus has caused 350 deaths in 567 reported cases since the epidemic began in Africa in March of this year, according to reports by the World Health Organization. And it is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.
The deadly virus outbreak in West Africa has hit “unprecedented” proportions, according to relief workers. Typically outbreaks of Ebola occur in remote locations, which makes it easier to contain, but the recent outbreak has seen patients in 60 different locations ranging from Guinea to Sierra Leone and Liberia. It can take anywhere between two and 21 days for a person to feel symptoms. This has led to people who are unknowing carriers of the virus traveling and spreading the illness. The scariest part? International travelers could visit or return to the United States, spreading the sickness across continents.
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In the beginning, symptoms are flu-like, but then the virus causes significant diarrhea and vomiting, while preventing the body from clotting the blood. As a result, patients often suffer internal and external hemorrhaging. Many die in an average of 10 days. However, the good news is that a person can’t spread Ebola until s/he is experiencing symptoms.
CNN reports that although there is no cure or vaccine for Ebola, death can be avoided if is treated early. Ebola typically kills 90 percent of its patients. However, the death rate for this current outbreak has dropped to roughly 60 percent.
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