Escalation (May 23, 2014–August 31, 2014)

Abstract

By the middle of May 2014, the West African Ebola outbreak appeared to be under control. Then suddenly and unexpectedly, new cases began to emerge. First as a trickle, and then as a flood, the number of confirmed and suspected cases increased rapidly. West African medical facilities did their best to cope with the outbreak. Initially they were able to handle the onrush of cases, but soon resources were stretched thin. Then doctors began to die from the disease. In some cities, corpses of Ebola victims lay in the streets. Rural areas were also hard-hit. Reporters described finding whole communities decimated by the virus. In a desperate bid to contain the outbreak, countries closed their borders and issued travel bans. Despite these efforts, Ebola continued to spread. By the end of August 2014, there were active Ebola cases in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Senegal. In addition, a small number of Western healthcare workers had become infected and been transported to the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom for treatment. Overall, more than 3000 people had contracted Ebola. More alarmingly, the number of new cases continued to grow exponentially.