The Ebola Virus

It has been confirmed that Ebola is behind the recent outbreak in the Congo. More than 160 people so far have died so far. This is happening in an area of south or southwestern Congo, an area that is rural but also with some diamond mining. Since most of the deaths appear to have been at the beginning of the outbreak, it is likely that it is now contained or will be soon. Ebola is spread through bodily fluid contact, which often happens at the beginning of an outbreak as one person has the disease, then other first try to give that individual medical attention, then eventually, process the corpse as per traditional methods which almost always involve bodily fluid contact. Those who treated the sick and dead then get the disease, then they are treated, etc., until someone realizes what is going on and everybody backs off. But by then, dozens are typically infected.

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