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Ebola virus: Twitter Q&A Your questions to Tulip Mazumdar
(about 3 hours later)
The world's deadliest outbreak of the Ebola virus has so far killed more than 670 people across West Africa.The world's deadliest outbreak of the Ebola virus has so far killed more than 670 people across West Africa.
BBC reporter, Tulip Mazumdar, has just come back from Guinea where the outbreak has killed hundreds. She has visited hospitals where doctors have been treating patients.BBC reporter, Tulip Mazumdar, has just come back from Guinea where the outbreak has killed hundreds. She has visited hospitals where doctors have been treating patients.
As people travel more widely, what impact will this have in controlling the spread of the virus? How are authorities attempting to stem the spread of the disease? She answered your questions about the situation there in a live Twitter Q&A.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has told the BBC that the virus poses a threat to the UK. How big is the threat on a global scale? This is an edited version of the session:
Tulip is answering your questions in a live session via her Twitter account today, between 13:30 BST and 14:00 BST. Question from Gabriel Eliandro Iboro on Facebook: Should we be optimistic about a cure for this Ebola outbreak or give up already?
Here are the ways you can take part: Tulip answers: There are vaccines and treatments being developed but they're not ready yet. No to giving up - emergency teams are focused on controlling the outbreak.
On Twitter, tweet your question to @TulipMazumdar using the hashtag #AskBBCTulip. Question from Bello Ahmed Timileyin on Facebook: Is Ebola a man-made disease?
You can text your question, beginning #AskBBCTulip, to 61124 (in the UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (outside the UK). Tulip answers: Ebola is passed to humans from animals, including fruit bats. Some argue deforestation could be contributing to the problem - not conclusive.
You can also ask your question by leaving a comment on the BBC News Facebook page or on our page on Google+. Question from @Xander_TS: How long does one have to live after being infected with the Ebola virus?
Or you can email us at talkingpoint@bbc.co.uk - please put #AskBBCTulip in the subject box. Tulip answers: No set time but, the incubation period is 21 days. By the time people are diagnosed, they tend to die quickly.
When it's over, we'll publish the questions and answers featured in the Twitter session on this page of our website. Question from Karen via email: Is the spread continuing to be worsened by religious customs?
Although Tulip will try to answer as many questions as she can, she won't get to all of them. Questions will be tweeted immediately before the answer, and might therefore be edited for brevity. Tulip answers: Not religious, more cultural. Funeral practices - where people wash the body - is helping spread the virus.
Question from @mighty_knighty: Do you get the sense the community are more trusting and engaged in medical pro's in affected area?
Tulip answers: They're becoming more trusting in some areas, but still lots of fear around virus which is hindering medics efforts to help
Question from @LekanWaheed: If one touches an infected person will you get infected? Even if they don't put his hand in his mouth?
Tulip answers: Not necessarily. Ebola is spread through body fluids eg. if you touch an infected person and they are sweating, your risk increases.
Question from Ashley Stubbs on Facebook: Do they hold aid workers being evacuated for a period of time making sure they're not infected?
Tulip answers: Each agency has own rules, but won't isolate aid workers unless they show symptoms or they know of skin on skin contact
Question from Ini Obong via email: Can Ebola be transmitted via mosquito bite?
Tulip answers: Science journals report that there is no evidence of this happening
For more tweets from Tulip Mazumdar you can follow her Twitter account.