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The current outbreak in west Africa, (first cases notified in March 2014), is the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976.

Symptoms of Ebola typically include: weakness, fever, aches, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Additional experiences include rash, red eyes, chest pain, throat soreness, difficulty breathing or swallowing and bleeding (including internal).

According to the World Health Organization, "there is no specific treatment or vaccine," and the fatality rate can be up to 90%. Patients are given supportive care, which includes providing fluids and electrolytes and food.

Guinea - 1667 cases, 1018 deaths Liberia - 6535 cases, 2413 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 - 5338 cases, 1510 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)

If you travel to or are in an area affected by an Ebola outbreak, make sure to do the following:Practice careful hygiene. For example, wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and avoid contact with blood and body fluids.Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment).Avoid funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body of someone who has died from Ebola.Avoid contact with bats and nonhuman primates or blood, fluids, and raw meat prepared from these animals.Avoid hospitals in West Africa where Ebola patients are being treated. The U.S. embassy or consulate is often able to provide advice on facilities.After you return, monitor your health for 21 days and seek medical care immediately if you develop symptoms of Ebola(http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html).

Symptoms of Ebola includeFeverSevere headacheMuscle painWeaknessFatigueDiarrheaVomitingAbdominal (stomach) painUnexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.Recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports more than 13,700 confirmed or suspected cases of Ebola, mostly in the countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as of Oct. 27. More than 4,900 people have died in the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded.