The ebola virus is transmitted through contact with a contagious person's bodily fluids. Some traditional practices may facilitate transmission. People who are infected initially suffer from headaches, fevers, and muscle pain, before the onset of vomiting and diarrhoea. Ebola can eventually lead to severe haemorrhaging after vital organs are blocked.
 

West Africa is currently dealing with the most deadly subtype of the virus—the Zaire strain—which can kill up to 90% of people who are infected. There is no cure or vaccine.

Some humanitarian groups have warned that the current outbreak, which started in March and has killed more than 450 people in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, is in danger of spiralling out of control. 
 

West African governments and WHO have pledged to create a sub-regional control centre in Guinea, which will allow for greater cooperation between the different ministries and groups involved in the response.