Ebola is a highly deadly viral hemorrhagic disease. As the disease progresses, the walls of blood vessels break down and blood gushes from every tissue and organ. The disease is caused by the Ebola virus, named after the river in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) where the first known outbreak occurred. The disease is extremely contagious and exceptionally lethal. Where a 10% mortality rate is considered high for most infectious diseases, Ebola can kill up to 90% of its victims, usually within only a few days after exposure. It seems to take direct contact with contaminated blood or bodily fluids to catch the disease. Health personnel and caregivers are often the most likely to be infected. Even after a patient has died, preparing the body for a funeral can be deadly for families members.

The Ebola virus is one of two members of a family of RNA viruses...