272 Why Ebola is so dangerous

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The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the world’s deadliest to date and the World Health Organization has declared an international health emergency as more than 2,100people have died of the virus in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria this year.

Ebola is a viral illness of which the initial symptoms can include a sudden fever, intens weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). And that is just the beginning: subsequent stages are vomiting, diarrhoea and – in some cases – both internal and external bleeding.

I – Word Understanding
Outbreak – a sudden or violent start of something

II – Have Your Say
1. How much do you know EBOLA?
How does Ebola virus spread?
Who are at risk?
Which countries are affected?

2. Several experimental treatments for Ebola are being developed and showed promising results in monkeys. It has been tested in very few people only. Is it ethical to use experimental drugs to people suffering from Ebola?

272 Why Ebola is so dangerous