A ward of Kingharman Hospital in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. (Xinhua/Lin Xiaowei)

Modus Operandi

Transmission of Ebola has been attributed to reuse of unsterilized needles, close personal contact, and contact with body fluids and places touched by an infected person. Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to the virus, but the average is 8 to 10 days. Symptoms include fever, severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, and unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising) etc.