Ebola scare in Winnipeg: A look at some facts about the deadly virus
WINNIPEG — An employee at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg may have been exposed to the Ebola virus after a tear in a protective suit was noticed during decontamination.
Ebola is a highly contagious virus that the World Health Organization estimates kills 50 per cent of those it infects. The World Health Organization says the virus is transmitted to humans through wild animals and then spreads through the population through close contact with contaminated bodily fluids. The virus is not airborne.
Here are more facts about Ebola:
Origin: The Ebola virus was discovered in 1976 when two outbreaks flared up almost simultaneously in Africa, according to the World Health Organization. One of those outbreaks took place near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, giving the virus its name.