Ebola: Know Your Epidemic (So You Can Separate Fact from Fiction)

Ebola virus is the perfect plot device for a suspense thriller. It spreads quickly, is highly fatal, emerged from “the heart of darkness” (i.e., central Africa) and scientists are still not quite sure where it came from or how it is transmitted to humans. The current epidemic in West Africa began in December 2013 in Guinea, though it was not recognized until March of this year, and has since spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone, with a handful of cases in Nigeria and Senegal. It is the most severe outbreak since the discovery of the virus in 1976. As of August 31, there have been 3,700 cases and over 1,800 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (the more recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a separate incident and unrelated to the West African outbreak.)

Understandably, people around the world are concerned – international travel makes it easier than ever for diseases to cross borders and travel thousands of kilometers, and viruses make no distinctions for race, ethnicity, or nationality. Unfortunately, fear inevitably brings ignorance and misinformation along for the ride. There have already been several instances of discrimination against Africans in South Korea: invitations to Korean academic conferences for African students have been withdrawn, and a sign in a pub window in Seoul refusing to serve Africans has drawn widespread condemnation after going viral on social media. The best way to combat ignorance is through information, so here are some important facts about the virus.

Fiction: Ebola virus is airborne.

Fact: Ebola virus is contagious, but transmission is easily preventable.

Ebola virus is transmitted through the body fluids of a sick person (e.g., blood and saliva) and typically enters the body through mucus membranes (e.g., eyes, nose, and mouth). However, you must come into direct contactwith infectious fluids to risk catching the virus – it is not like the flu, which you can catch when an infected person coughs or sneezes near you. Several studies have failed to show that the virus can be transmitted through the air, and major health organizations like the CDC and Doctors without Borders confirm that there is practically no risk of airborne transmission.

Fiction: You could catch Ebola virus from anyone who has been in areas where it is spreading.

Fact: You can catch Ebola virus from sick patients.

This myth has been a major driver of discrimination against Africans, many of whom feel they are being singled out simply because they are from countries where the virus has appeared. The fact is that only patients who are actively showing signs of illness are infectious. Ebola outbreaks are actually relatively rare; they can be devastating to African communities, but this is primarily because the health systems in those areas are poor and underdeveloped. It is not transmitted “silently” like polio and is relatively easy to avoid by washing your hands frequently and not coming into contact with sick patients.

Fiction: Governments should implement travel bans to stop Ebola virus.

Fact: Governments should ensure that health systems are prepared to deal with Ebola virus.

Calls for travel bans are becoming increasingly common as global fears of the virus spread, but this is neither a realistic nor effective way to contain the spread of Ebola virus. Banning people from countries battling the outbreak is blatantly discriminatory, while blanket travel bans will do no good: an infected person could arrive from Paris, New York or Munich just as easily as from Monrovia, Conakry or Lagos. Moreover, such bans are usually not enforced effectively. The case of a Canadian border agent who, when alerted to a travel ban on an American lawyer with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis, allowed him to enter the US anyway because “he didn’t look sick” is a classic example of this inconsistency. Ensuring that laboratories are prepared to test for it, that healthcare personnel are properly trained in treating sick patients and that hospitals know to isolate any cases until they are no longer infectious is a much better use of resources and, in the end, saves more lives.

Ebola virus is a very real threat to public health, and no one should believe they are immune to it. However, knowing your facts about the virus is the most powerful tool we have to make sure that we protect our health. Do not spread panic or discriminate against others.

Jessica Keralis has a Master’s of Public Health and three years of experience working on public health projects. After finishing her teaching contract in Gwangju in December 2013, she accepted a position as a laboratory emergency preparedness program coordinator, specifically focused on biological agents. She is currently working as an epidemiologist.