Science
A Liberian woman holds up a pamphlet with guidance on how to prevent the Ebola virus from spreading, in the city of Monrovia, Liberia, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014.
- Since 1976, more than 11,000 people have been killed by the Ebola virus, and nearly 30,000 have caught it.
- Deadly outbreaks have occurred in Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast, South Sudan, Uganda, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. It made its way to the US in 2014.
- Now, there's hope for what was once thought to be an incurable disease. Two new treatments have been successful 90% of the time.
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It's thought to have begun with a bat bite.
The Ebola virus, once considered incurable, has plagued Africa for more than 40 years. Since 1976, nearly 30,000 people have caught Ebola, and more than 11,000 have died. It's often gone silent for years only to reemerge unexpectedly, catching hospitals, governments, and global organizations off-guard.
But scientists might be closing in on a successful treatment. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported two new treatments for the disease work 90% of the time. They'll be given to all patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo from now on.
Here's how Ebola began, where it's spread, and how it went from killing tens of thousands to being on the verge of a cure.
