The Ebola Epidemic - 2013 to Present
In December of 2013, a new Ebola outbreak began. It all started with a two year old boy (patient zero) in Guinea, then spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, then the rest of West Africa. This outbreak is much worse than before; many people are ignoring symptoms and riding on airplanes, buses, and going to work. If anyone touches any of their fluids, from sweat to blood, they will most likely contract the deadly virus. In this day and age, the virus is being spread far too easily, making it much harder to contain and even harder to prevent. In addition, many people consider the outbreak to be a government conspiracy theory and will not seek medical treatment if they develop symptoms. Approximately 14, 485 people have been infected, and 5,229 have died. This number is increasing as we speak. The fatality rate of this outbreak is 36%. As of November, 2014, America has been rid of Ebola; it is no longer here. However, it could easily reenter the US from west African countries on airplanes or other travel methods. The government brought US citizens with Ebola back to the United States because they believed we could help find a cure. This is true, however it put the entire country at risk for possible infection. Despite this, doctors and physicians controlled the virus and it did not spread to any civilians, and we cured our Ebola patients with the blood of a survivor.