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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. |
She answered your questions about the situation there in a live Twitter Q&A. | |
This is an edited version of the session: | |
Question from Gabriel Eliandro Iboro on Facebook: Should we be optimistic about a cure for this Ebola outbreak or give up already? | |
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. | |
Question from Bello Ahmed Timileyin on Facebook: Is Ebola a man-made disease? | |
Tulip answers: Ebola is passed to humans from animals, including fruit bats. Some argue deforestation could be contributing to the problem - not conclusive. | |
Question from @Xander_TS: How long does one have to live after being infected with the Ebola virus? | |
Tulip answers: No set time but, the incubation period is 21 days. By the time people are diagnosed, they tend to die quickly. | |
Question from Karen via email: Is the spread continuing to be worsened by religious customs? | |
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. |