Health Workers in West Africa are currently battling the largest Ebola outbreak in history,
more than 670 people have died, including health workers, and more than 1,100 people
have been infected.
It is a huge problem.
In past outbreaks, Ebola has a 90% fatality rate.
There's no vaccine, and it can be dormant in humans for a few days to a few weeks before
showing symptoms.
Meaning, that an infected human could board a plane and spread the disease to anywhere
on the globe unknowingly.
So, how worried should we be?
Could Ebola be the next global pandemic?
The short answer is no.
Ebola begins with infected animals.
And jumping from animals to humans is fairly rare.
But when it has jumped, Ebola passes from person to person through contact with infected
blood or feces.
It could conceivably spread through contact with saliva or sweat, but experts like epidemiologist
(epi-deemi-ologist) Stephen Morse from Columbia University quote, “don’t think that we’ve
seen actual cases” in which that has happened.
The current outbreak in Africa is largely due to poor sanitary conditions, a lack of
education about the disease, and a lack of resources.
It is customary in the section of West Africa where ebola has spread for family members
to clean the body of the deceased before burying it.
Ebola causes diarrhea, and external bleeding, so handling the dead is a major way that the
disease spreads.
That part of West Africa also has limited medical resources; so infected people are
being treated in crowded, understaffed facilities.
There aren’t enough health workers.
And the ones that are there work 12 to 24 hour shifts, putting themselves at greater
risk.
But, Ebola is still an isolated issue and it will most likely stay that way.
Even if an infected person were to hop a plane to the US and bringing the disease here.
The CDC would have a team in place to handle and contain the outbreak almost immediately.
And the US Federal Government would have the resources for them to do that.
Plus, all hospitals nationwide are already on alert.
If anyone were to show up with Ebola Symptoms the CDC would be contacted immediately and
work to contain the disease would begin.
If you’d like to know more about the CDC and their efforts to fight disease check out
our video on the new anti-hiv pill and why the CDC is not recommending it for everyone.
Or click on our other box to see our episode on the current crises in Iraq and what our
Military Advisors are doing other there.
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