Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
Nigeria has declared a national emergency due to an outbreak of the Ebola virus. Over 900 people in West Africa have died from the Ebola virus this year. Ebola symptoms include vomiting, fever, muscle pain and bleeding. The fatality rate is about 90%. The deadly Ebola virus is transmitted to humans from infected wild animals, including fruit bats, pigs and monkeys. It can then be passed human-to-human through contact with bodily fluids. Health professionals and volunteers in West Africa are taking extra precautions after two American missionaries who were working in Liberia tested positive for Ebola. The infected doctor and nurse are receiving treatment in the US, while other members of their team are in quarantine. The virus was named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the first outbreak occurred in 1976. There is currently no vaccine.