12 Must-Know Facts About The Ebola Virus Spreading Across West Africa

1. The deadliest outbreak of Ebola in history is still
ravaging countries in West Africa, particularly
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. And the troubling
news continues with the recent report that the head
doctor treating patients with Ebola in Sierra Leone,
virologist Sheik Umar Khan, has himself contracted
the virus, and is now being treated by doctors from
the organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors
Without Borders).

2.The virus is notoriously deadly, causing a severe
viral hemorrhagic fever, and has so far killed 60
percent of people infected by it in this West Africa
outbreak. Here’s what is known about Ebola virus
disease -- formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic
fever -- including how it's spread and why it's so
deadly:

3. The first human outbreaks of Ebola on record
occurred in Sudan and Zaire in 1976.
The virus is named after the Ebola River in Africa.
There have been other outbreaks reported in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ivory Coast,
Uganda, South Sudan, Gabon, the Republic of the
Congo, Guinea and Liberia, according to CNN.

4.There are five known strains of the virus.
They are named after their outbreak locations:
Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Côte d’Ivoire,
Ebola-Reston, and Ebola-Bundibugyo, according to
the Encyclopedia Britannica. The outbreak currently
affecting West Africa is the Zaire strain of
ebolavirus -- which is also the most deadly of the
five. Ebola-Reston, by contrast, is asymptomatic in
humans.

5. Ebola usually kills.
Infection with the Zaire strain of Ebola causes death
80 to 90 percent of the time, according to the
Encyclopedia Britannica.

6. Ebola can spread from person to person.
It can also be contracted if a person comes into
contact with a contaminated object or even by
butchering an animal infected with the virus, CNN
reported. A deceased person with Ebola can still
transmit the virus. Fruit bats are suspected to be a
natural host of the Ebola virus, according to the
World Health Organization. These bats are a popular
food source throughout West Africa and so WHO
officials have warned residents of outbreak areas to
stop hunting and cooking with the bats.

7. More than a 1,000 people have been infected with
Ebola in this current outbreak.
There are currently 410 suspected and confirmed
cases of Ebola in Guinea, 196 suspected and
confirmed cases in Liberia, and 442 suspected and
confirmed cases in Sierra Leone, according to the
most recent information from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of
these cases have been fatal, with 310 suspected
deaths in Guinea, 116 suspected deaths in Liberia
and 206 suspected deaths in Sierra Leone.

8. It can be hard to diagnose early.
That's because the very first signs of Ebola -- red
eyes and skin rash -- can also be signs of other
conditions, the CDC said. However, if there's reason
to believe a person has Ebola, there are tests that
can be conducted just days after symptoms begin.

9. Most symptoms of Ebola occur eight to 10 days
after exposure.
However, there can be signs of infection anywhere
from two to 21 days after being exposed. Symptoms
include fever, headache, weakness, diarrhea,
vomiting, lack of appetite, stomach pain and aching
muscles and joints. Infection can also cause
bleeding inside and outside of the body, problems
breathing and swallowing, sore throat, chest pain,
red eyes, hiccups, cough and rash, according to the
CDC. And yes, as Vox points out, bleeding from the
eyes (as well as the nose, ears mouth and rectum)
is one of the hallmark signs of Ebola.

10. The current outbreak has spread very rapidly.
Usually, Ebola outbreaks occur in remote areas.
However, this current outbreak -- which was
discovered in Sierra Leone -- has now been
identified in 60 different locations through Liberia,
Sierra Leone and Guinea, CNN reported:��

11. Officials believe the wide footprint of this
outbreak is partly because of the close proximity
between the jungle where the virus was first
identified and cities such as Conakry. The capital in
Guinea has a population of 2 million and an
international airport .

12. There is no cure or
treatment for Ebola.

Right now, only supportive therapy is available,
which includes maintaining proper fluid and
electrolyte balance, maintaining blood pressure and
oxygen levels, and treating complicating infections,
the CDC said. While there are currently no
treatments or vaccines against Ebola available for
clinical use, there are some being tested.