One of the most frightening headlines emerging in the media within the past few months is the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has claimed over 2200 lives at the time of this post. With the outbreak continuing to worsen, I've decided to give a (very) brief primer on what Ebola is, how it spreads, and what is being done to contain it!

1. What is it?

The term Ebola virus actually refers to five different species of virus, all of which cause a disease known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The virus is named after the river near which it was discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All viruses are infectious agents that require a host to survive and can infect all forms of life, including bacteria! When the virus enters a host, it invades the cell by attaching to proteins known as receptors on the cell surface. It then penetrates the cell membrane and uses the host cell's own machinery to produce viral proteins. These proteins then leave the cell, destroying the host cell in the process. This leads to a cascade of cells dying and causing a massive immune response, which results in the symptoms mentioned below.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever has several key symptoms, including headache, severe muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and unexpected bleeding or bruising. Of those infected with Ebola, only about 47% survive, which is pretty terrifying!

**Figure 2: Ebola symptoms, according to the CDC**

2. How does it spread?

Ebola spreads via contact with blood or the bodily fluids of an infected animal. It is not known to spread via the air. Ebola has been known to infect animals such as bats, gorillas, chimpanzees, and pigs and normally resides in these animals as a natural reservoir. Virus transfer from a live animal to a human is unlikely except in cases where a human has either handled the animal carcass or eaten the meat.

Stopping the spread of the virus in the current outbreak has been difficult for many reasons. First, adequate medical supplies and personnel have been scarce in the regions hit hard by the virus, leading to international calls to raise the amount of support for such humanitarian efforts. The virus spreads best when humans (both living and dead) are in close proximity to one another, which usually happens in these overcrowded facilities. Second, it is thought that a major way in which the virus spreads is due to local burial practices, including washing the body of the diseased (the key here is direct contact!). Lastly, there are plenty of cases of Ebola denial in which some deny that the virus even exists. Such claims range from that the virus is a complete hoax to the Ebolavirus being an invention of the West!

Many people grew concerned when we decided to bring back an American physician afflicted with Ebola for treatment back here in the United States. In fact, Donald Trump raised a salient point (sarcasm here, folks) that sending aid into Africa is risky, as our troops will return home "infected". Right.

It's important to note that the reason this virus is spreading so quickly isn't necessarily due to how deadly it is; it has more to do with health disparities in Africa. Healthcare officials weren't concerned with bringing Dr. Sacra back home because we have more than enough facilities to keep the virus contained and to keep hospital staff safe.

3. How do we stop it?

This is a pretty difficult question to answer, although a recent escalation in support from the White House will certainly help to curb the epidemic. According to the World Health Organization, we would ideally stop Ebola transmission within 6-9 months and prevent its international spread. While the report itself is 27 pages long, it boils down to the following: strike fast, strike wide, and strike hard. With models predicting thousands of new cases in the coming months, it is imperative that the international community band together to stop this malady from spreading around the globe. What is perhaps the most difficult thing about fighting Ebola is that we need to gain victories on the cultural and information front as well. Once we spend the time educating those most likely to be affected about the dangers of Ebola and how to halt its advance, curbing its spread should be much easier. A threat to human health is a threat to global health, but I am confident that this outbreak is causing many to stand up and fight the good fight!

For more information visited the World Health Organization's website at www.who.int.