IN GUINEA'S SOUTHEASTERN FOREST REGION IN FEBRUARY, AND HAS BEEN SPREADING

EVER SINCE, WITH THE DEATH TOLL CONTINUING TO GO UP. LINORD MOUDOU COVERS AFRICAN HEALTH

ISSUES FOR VOA AND JOINS ME RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. (MY

PLEASURE) WHAT IS THIS EBOLA? CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN?

WELL EBOLA DISEASE ACTUALLY IS A VIRUS THAT WAS DISCOVERED IN 1976 IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN

REGION, PRECISELY IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, BUT THEN IT WAS ZAIRE. AND

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST VIRULENT DISEASES KNOWN AS OF TODAY. AND IT CAN CAUSE DEATH WITHIN

DAYS AND IT'S VERY VERY DANGEROUS.

AND WHAT ARE THE WEST AFRICAN HEALTH OFFICIALS DOING TO TRY TO CONTAIN THE OUTBREAK? IS THERE

A CURE? CAN YOU AVOID GETTING IT?

YOU CAN AVOID GETTING IT. SOME OF THE STEPS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED BY HEALTH OFFICIALS

INCLUDE KEEPING BASIC RULES OF HYGIENE SUCH AS WASHING YOUR HANDS, AVOIDING BUSH

MEAT. SOME OF THE COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, IT'S PART OF THE DIET TO EAT BUSH MEAT. MAYBE

A MONKEY, OR BATS. SO OFFICIALS ARE REALLY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO AVOID EATING

MEAT, AS OF NOW, AND IF YOU FEEL ANY TYPES OF SYMPTOMS, WHICH INCLUDE FEVER, VOMITING,

DIARRHEA, TO REPORT TO THE NEAREST HEALTH CENTER. IF THERE IS A CURE? NO, THERE IS

NO CURE. THERE IS NOT REALLY A VACCINE EITHER. WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE WITH

PEOPLE THAT ARE SICK IS TO TREAT THE SYMPTOMS, TO KEEP THEM HYRDATED AND

INSURE THAT THEIR OWN BODY KIND OF REJECTS THE VIRUS.

HOW DOES IT SPREAD?

FIRST OF ALL FROM THE ANIMAL TO HUMANS BY COMING IN CONTACT WITH AN INFECTED WILD ANIMAL.

FROM HUMAN TO HUMAN, IT'S THROUGH BODILY FLUIDS, BLOOD, SEMEN, OR ANY OTHER TYPE

OF BODILY FLUID, THAT'S HOW IT IS SPREAD.

CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. EATING BUSH MEAT IS PART OF MANY PEOPLE'S CULTURE. HOW CAN

THEY AVOID EATING MEAT WHICH IS A PART OF THEIR DIET?

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT OF COURSE. I GUESS THE MOST CRITICAL TIME IS WHEN THERE IS AN OUTBREAK

OBVIOUSLY SO YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE THE SACRIFICE.

LASTLY, IT'S BEEN COMING IN OUTBREAKS, COMING AND GOING. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?

IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY. EVEN THE EXPERTS WILL TELL YOU BECAUSE EBOLA IS UNPREDICTABLE, IT'S

RARE, AND IT HAPPENS OFTEN IN REMOTE AREAS. WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY WITH THE

CASE IN GUINEA IS RARE BECAUSE WE SEE IT HAPPENING IN CONAKRY, IN THE CAPITAL. SO IT'S VERY VERY

DIFFICULT TO TELL. WHAT HEALTH OFFICIALS HOPE IS THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO

CONTAIN IT. RIGHT NOW W-H-O IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH IN GUINEA, AS

WELL AS MEDICINS SANS FROTIERES, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS, AND THEY'RE REALLY

KEEPING A CLOSE WATCH ON THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND THOSE WHO ARE SICK, EVEN THE HEALTH

WORKERS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY MUCH VICITIMIZED IN A CRISIS LIKE THIS.

LINORD MOUDOU, VOA AFRICA HEALTH REPORTER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.