An epidemic of the Ebola virus disease is ongoing in some West African countries. The outbreak first began in Guinea in March 2014. Since its initial outbreak, the virus has spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. The outbreak is the most severe in recorded history in regard to both the number of human cases and fatalities. A suspected 1603 cases with 887 deaths have been reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) as of 1 August 2014[update], of which 1009 cases and 574 deaths have been laboratory confirmed to be Ebola. Various organizations, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and the European Commission have donated funds and mobilized personnel to help counter the outbreak; charities including Médecins Sans Frontières, the Red Cross, and Samaritan’s Purse are also working in the area.
Leave a Reply