One of the craziest and most impactful things in 2014 has to be the outbreak of Ebola. At least 18 cases have been treated in Europe and the United States. Most were health and aid workers who contracted Ebola in West Africa and were transported back to their home country for treatment.
A doctor, who recently worked with Doctors without Borders in Guinea, tested positive for the Ebola virus in New York City on Oct. 23 – he left the hospital virus free on November 11th, 2014. The two nurses who contracted Ebola at a Dallas hospital luckily also recovered.
According to the Center for Disease Control, “More than 4,900 Ebola deaths have been reported this year during the current epidemic, nearly all of them in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.” Ebola is normally spread through infected body fluids. It may have an incubation period as short as 8 days all the way to 21 days before symptoms appear.
Hospitals all over the world have prepared meticulously for Ebola cases. The CDC website also indicates that, “People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.” The good news is that apparently, as of late, there have been no new cases in the United States. Let’s hope it stays that way!