Some people are naturally concerned out this latest outbreak,... considering Ebola is one
of the deadliest diseases on earth.
So what do we need to know about this highly contagious virus?
Our Shin Se-min answers the key questions.
It would be extremely difficult...
at first... to detect whether someone has been infected,... because Ebola symptoms are
similar to the common cold in the beginning.
BUT within days,… the patient will begin to experience chronic abdominal pain, bleeding
eyes, vomiting and diarrhea along with deadly organ failure,... eventually resulting in
death within a couple of weeks.
So how is the virus transmitted?
Through DIRECT contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.
This includes blood, sweat, saliva or other body fluids,... making transmission through
casual contact in a public setting unlikely.
But as I said earlier...
BECAUSE it's difficult to detect the virus in the early stages, there's an increased
risk of transmission.
Ebola can kill up to 90-PERCENT of those infected,... although in the current outbreak, the death
rate stands at around 55 percent.
And this latest outbreak... that was first detected in Guinea in February,... is spreading
fast... and has since expanded to Sierra Leone, Liberia and even Nigeria.
West African states, especially, lack the resources to fight Ebola,... and cultural
factors are also making it difficult to put the brakes on its spread.
So what can we do to avoid coming in contact with this deadly virus?
In just like any other stories like this, be sure to wash your hands regularly... and
beware of people with flu-like symptoms.
Shin Se-min, Arirang News.