The Ebola Crisis
2014 was the most widespread epidemic of the deadly Ebola virus, one of the most feared diseases. Ebola has an extremely high mortality rate of about 70%. The plague began in Guinea, Africa in December 2013, quickly spreading to Liberia and Sierra Leone, and later Senegal and Nigeria.
In the United States, there have been four reported cases, with one resulting in death. The virus was discovered in 1976, and has periodically spread throughout Africa, resulting in the death of thousands of people. There is no vaccine or cure yet, and the horrific symptoms has caused Ebola to be one of the most feared diseased. While there are five different strains, the Zaire strain is involved in the latest outbreak, which is also the most lethal with a fatality rate of 90%. Containing and controlling Ebola in West Africa is crucial to prevent the spread and it is proving to be extremely difficult, due to the lack of hygiene available. The crisis has caused a panic throughout the globe, with thousands of people wearing masks and hiding in their homes in fear of catching the deadly disease.