The Ebola crisis in West Africa has put immense pressure on governments and health authorities to contain the virus against which there is no treatment or vaccine. The epidemic, which started in Guinea in March, has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. It has claimed more than 1,200 lives in recent weeks and is expected to last another six months.
Ebola is transmitted to humans from wild animals and then spreads by direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person. The World Health Organisation says that bats are the natural host of the Ebola virus. This episode of Through the Wormhole, a science documentary series narrated by actor Morgan Freeman, explains the evolution of the virus and its transmission from bats to humans.
Ebola is transmitted to humans from wild animals and then spreads by direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person. The World Health Organisation says that bats are the natural host of the Ebola virus. This episode of Through the Wormhole, a science documentary series narrated by actor Morgan Freeman, explains the evolution of the virus and its transmission from bats to humans.
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