2014: The Deadliest Ever Ebola Virus Outbreak

According to the World Health Organisation, the most recent outbreak of the Ebola virus has proven the deadliest on record. After a few cases emerged in Guinea in March, the outbreak has picked up alarming speed, infecting approximately 759 people across Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Out of those infected, 467 have already died, a catastrophic 61.5 mortality rate.

Serious outbreaks have also occurred in 2000 in Uganda and 2007 in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Early symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and impaired kidney/liver function before the onset of external bleeding. The World Health Organisation have called for drastic action to halt the spread of the virus but preventative action will prove difficult, given that there are no specific treatments for Ebola.