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Subscribe NowThe Ebola epidemic in West Africa continues to spread. As The Real Truth goes to print, the hemorrhagic fever strain has killed at least 961 in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone—and it shows no signs of slowing.
Aid groups are struggling to cope. Doctors Without Borders staff have called the outbreak “unprecedented” and “totally out of control.” Budget cuts for the World Health Organization (WHO) have crippled its ability to respond, Los Angeles Times reported.
The newspaper quoted Scott Dowell, director of disease detection and emergency response at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “In my view, there’s no way that WHO can respond in a way that we need it to.”
In addition, non-government organizations are also combating rampant misinformation about the virus. The Washington Post reported: “Some say you can contract Ebola from a motorcycle helmet. Others say you can cure the deadly virus by drinking Nescafe mixed with cocoa and sugar—or with two large onions.” Others in the region, according to the paper, do not even believe that Ebola exists.
At this point, the only tools doctors have to combat the disease are to quarantine the sick, speedily remove corpses, and increase hygiene awareness throughout affected areas. All of these measures are nearly impossible in the impoverished regions hit hardest.
There is no vaccine for the virus.