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West Africa is struggling with the worst Ebola outbreak on record, and two U.S. nurses have contracted the disease treating a Liberian man who died in Texas. A nurse in Spain was infected while caring for two priests, who both died of Ebola.

Ebola has killed 4,493 people, or about 50 percent of the known 8,997 cases,

Marburg and virulent Ebola viruses are maintained in hosts that are rare and have little contact with humans or do not readily transmit virus. Bats (particularly solitary microchiropteran species) are leading contenders as reservoir hosts. Virus transfer to humans occurs by contact with the primary reservoir or via an intermediate animal that acquired infection from the reservoir and is, in turn, hunted by humans. An interesting possibility is that filoviruses may be arthropod or plant viruses, with non—blood-feeding arthropods transmitting the virus to intermediate hosts or humans during oral ingestion or envenomation. Paradoxically, in Africa, Ebola virus disease has high lethality and high seroprevalence as determined by the IFA test. If the seroreactivity is confirmed by more specific tests, then the Ebola virus serogroup in Africa probably contains an antigenically cross-reactive, enzootic, nonpathogenic agent(s). Such viruses may have separate life cycles or may give rise to virulent strains by mutation.

Nigerians took the threat seriously with officials encouraging improved sanitation and basic hygiene [AFP]

Focusing on the cases of two dogs can seem trivial compared to the 4,000 people in West Africa who have died from Ebola this year.

Some studies have shown that dogs may experience asymptomatic Ebola infections, the CDC says -- meaning they may have the virus but don't get sick. Also, the agency says, human infections haven't been linked to dogs.

2014 Outbreak:(Full historical timeline at bottom)Cases listed below include confirmed, probable or suspected cases of Ebola as of November 4, 2014 (World Health Organization and CDC): Guinea - 1760 cases, 1054 deaths Liberia - 6619 cases, 2766 deaths Mali - 1 case, 1 death (infection originated in Guinea) Nigeria - 20 cases, 8 deaths Senegal - 1 case, 0 deaths (infection originated in Guinea) Sierra Leone - 4862 cases, 1130 deaths Spain - 1 case, 0 deaths United States - 4 cases, 1 death (two infections originated in the United States, one in Liberia and one in Guinea)