'Most challenging' deadly disease outbreak: WHO speaks out on Ebola dangers

Staff Writer | RT.com | April 9, 2014

West Africa is seeing the “most challenging” outbreak of Ebola virus since the disease was discovered 40 years ago. It comes as the death toll reaches over 100, the World Health Organization reported. "This is one of the most challenging Ebola outbreaks we have ever faced," Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) told a news briefing.

The most severe cases of the illness have had a 90 percent fatality rate, and there is no vaccine, cure or specific treatment. New figures released by the WHO on Tuesday indicate there have been 157 suspected cases in Guinea, 101 of them fatal. Sixty-seven of the cases were confirmed in WHO laboratories.

Ebola’s symptoms are hemorrhagic fever, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea and, in severe cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding. Also, the WHO is concerned that the deadly virus is spreading from the epicenter in the forests of southern Guinea. "We have not had an Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa before," Fukuda said...