The World Health Organization has declared West Africa’s Ebola epidemic is an international public health emergency. A spike in cases over the past two days has overwhelmed the region -- 1,779 people have been infected so far, and 961 have died. This years outbreak is the worst in Ebola’s 40-year tracking history. Aid organizations and doctors in West Africa blame the rapid spread of misinformation and fear about Ebola -- one crucial step in slowing and stopping the spread of the virus is education. Many of the countries where Ebola is most dangerous are ill-equipped to handle the virus. In the U.S., where two Americans with the disease have been sent for treatment, preventative measures and better hospital resources are better able to handle infectious diseases.
What are the next steps in slowing the spread of Ebola? How should people in West Africa handle the virus? What do people in the U.S. and global travelers need to know about the disease?
Guest:
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.,. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services