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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : September 18, 2014 6:49 PM IST
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged her support for the fight against Ebola virus in response to an appeal by Liberia. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had asked Germany for further financial and practical help in the battle against the virus in a letter to Merkel, Xinhua reported. 'We will act quickly and stand ready with everything we have available,' Merkel said Wednesday.
Germany's help could include air transport of doctors and other workers from civilian organisations, help with building hospital wards and support for the World Health Organization (WHO). Germany has been supporting international efforts in tackling Ebola, having contributing about 12 million euros ($15 million), since the deadly disease broke out this year in West African countries including Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Here's are some interesting facts about the Ebola virus that make it so deadly.
It can kill within seven days: Unlike other viruses (like HIV) that can remain dormant in a person for years without causing the disease, Ebola violently multiplies until the viral particles are amplified to about 100 million viral particles in a droplet of blood. Further, without resting in a dormant stage the virus kills the host to find a new one. The fatality rate of the disease is 60 percent.
We don't know where it came from: First of all, scientists have not been able to identify the original reservoir of the virus yet. Bats have been the suspected source but the results are inconclusive. Since a major part of its life cycle remains a mystery, the threat of its recurring outbreak will persist.
We don't know all the different ways it can spread: The Ebola virus certainly spreads through direct contact with infectious body fluids and secretions including blood, semen, stool, mucus, saliva and sweat. But there is a possibility that it could spread through other modes, increasing the chances of the disease spreading. Read more about 10 reasons that make the Ebola virus deadly for humans
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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