5 Reasons That This is the Worst Ebola Outbreak Ever

Almost 900 people have died from the Ebola outbreak happening right now in Western Africa, and the world is on edge—nervous that it could spread to new regions. Why has it been so infectious?

The deadliest Ebola outbreak in recorded history is happening right now in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and most recently, Nigeria. The World Health Organization estimates that as of August 1, Ebola has infected 1603 people and killed 887, or roughly 55 percent of those known to be infected. It's the deadliest outbreak to occur since Ebola's first appearance in 1976, when simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo killed 431 people.

So why is this outbreak so bad?

1. Ebola is New to West Africa

This is the first time Ebola has ever reached these West African countries. As a result, health workers in the region didn't have training in how to recognize Ebola or prevent its spread. Previous outbreaks have appeared in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Gabon, and Uganda, and now these countries have enough experience with Ebola to recognize it faster. There are high-security biolabs in Gabon and Uganda that are equipped to diagnose Ebola virus; there's only one lab in West Africa that can do the same in neighboring Senegal.

Ebola's initial symptoms are similar to the flu and other common diseases in West Africa, such as Lassa fever. That makes the initial diagnosis even harder.

2. This is the Deadliest Strain of Ebola

There are five different strains of Ebola, with varying degrees of lethality. The current outbreak appears to be the deadliest strain: the Zaire ebolavirus. Sudan ebolavirus is the second most dangerous, while Reston ebolavirus has never caused any reported illness in humans and Taï Forest ebolavirus has only infected one person to date (that patient survived).

3. Burial Rituals May be Spreading the Disease

These Western African countries have a Muslim majority, and Muslim law requires family members to wash deceased relatives' bodies before burial. Ebola virus spreads through the bodily fluids of an infected person and it's contagious even after death — it can survive on surfaces, including corpses, for several days. These burial practices may be contributing to the outbreak's spread.

4. People Travel More in West Africa Than They Do in Central Africa

Most of the previous Ebola outbreaks have occurred in remote villages in Central Africa. But this one is right along the porous borders of three different countries, where people often cross over on motorcycles and head to markets and cities, according to The New York Times.

It can take two to 21 days for symptoms to present in an infected person—plenty of time for someone to be exposed and travel to a new place before symptoms appear. That is what happened in the case of Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer, who flew to Nigeria from Liberia after taking care of his sister who died from Ebola.

5. Locals May be Suspicious of Medical Teams

According to the World Health Organization, it's been difficult for medical teams to reach certain areas because locals have chased away healthcare workers with knives, machetes, and stones. For example, a team from Doctors Without Borders had to stop working in southeastern Guinea because locals accused them of bringing the virus to the area. There are at least 12 villages in Guinea that may have Ebola victims, but that are too dangerous for medical workers to reach.

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