Crisis in West Africa

Charlee Cobb

The Ebola epidemic has been in major newspaper headlines since April of this year. With each new article came an updated death toll. First there were 600 deaths, then 1,400, and now 2,630 people as of September 14. The Ebola virus has taken a hefty toll in the countries of western Africa.

Ebola is a filo-virus: a virus that causes hemorrhagic fever. Symptoms of Ebola can start within 2-21 days of being infected with the actual virus. The virus is transferred through body fluids and can survive on surfaces. Studies are being done to see if there is a possibility of Ebola being an airborne virus as well.

Sierra Leone, a village affected by the Ebola virus.

There is no cure. The mortality rate for this disease is 90%. To treat patients who are infected, health care workers provide a supportive treatment to try to regulate a patient’s vitals while ill. However, there are not enough volunteers to battle the rising number of cases, and it is becoming harder to treat patients.

A short supply of health workers is not the only reason battling Ebola is difficult. It is becoming harder to quarantine people that are ill as well. Many families are trying to take their sick relatives out of treatment facilities and some deny that they are even infected with the disease. The government in Sierra Leone has recently issued a nationwide lockdown in order to better quarantine people. However, experts say that the fight against Ebola could last up to 18 months. More than 20,000 cases are predicted to occur within that time period.

The United Nations and Doctors Without Borders have been working to call attention to the situation. After a call for help from Liberian leaders, President Obama said that the United States is prepared to send 3,000 troops to help curb the outbreak. Experts say that in addition to military personnel, approximately 500 doctors and 1,000 health workers will be necessary to effectively assist the fight against Ebola.