 Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Adam Navas. And I'm Liz Wade. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live. In the city of Nezorekore, Guinea, in West Africa, people are very afraid. They see a team of people walking through the market. The team members are all wearing plastic and rubber coverings. These shoes, hats, and clothes cover their whole bodies. Not even their eyes are showing. They spray a chemical all over the area. This disinfects the market. The team is trying to rid the market of the dangerous disease Ebola. Many people in Nezorekore have been dying of Ebola. Not everyone understands why. It is difficult to know the truth. People are afraid. Some people are saying that the medical team is bringing harm. They shout, Ebola is a lie. Many people begin to riot. The current Ebola crisis has caused much fear around the world. Thousands of people have died. And there is no cure for the disease. But there is hope for containing Ebola and even ending the current crisis. Today's spotlight is on the Ebola crisis. Doctors first discovered the Ebola virus in 1976 in Central Africa. Since that time, there have been more than 20 small or medium sized outbreaks of the disease. Often, an outbreak begins when a person eats fruit or meat that is infected with the Ebola virus. Scientists believe that fruit bats carry the Ebola virus. These small flying animals can infect fruit or other animals. When a person is infected with the Ebola virus, it can remain in his or her body for up to 21 days without any signs of infection. But once a person becomes sick with Ebola, they can spread the virus to other people. The virus is spread through body fluids like blood, sweat, diarrhea or vomit. There is no known cure for Ebola. When people have Ebola, they experience fever, diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding inside and outside the body. These symptoms cause horrible suffering for infected people and their family members. And Ebola kills between 50 and 90% of the people who become infected. In the past, the worst Ebola outbreaks killed hundreds of people. But in March of 2014, the medical community reported a new outbreak. This outbreak has spread more widely than any other Ebola outbreak. And as of October 2014, officials confirmed that 5,000 people have died from Ebola. And many experts believe the number is even higher. The disease has killed 70% of people infected with the virus. And this has tragically affected many families in West Africa. A young boy from Sierra Leone told the BBC, Our father is gone. Our stepmother is gone. Our grandmother and my brother and my sister, they are all gone. The current Ebola outbreak began in late 2013. The first victims lived in a small village in the country Guinea. This village was near the borders of three countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Many people near these borders travel a lot. Before anyone knew there was an Ebola outbreak, travelers had become infected with the virus. Soon, travelers carried the disease into small villages and major cities. Once the virus reached major cities, the disease spread quickly. Local health systems did not have the resources to contain the disease. They needed supplies and resources from the international community to properly contain it. But help from outside did not come fast enough. Kofi Annan is the former head of the United Nations. In October of 2014, he told the BBC that he felt terribly saddened by the lack of global action. I think the international community could have offered assistance and organised ourselves in a much better way. We did not need to take months to do what we are doing today. The international world's action has been slow and this is a major problem. That is because one of the most important ways to stop Ebola's spread is to act quickly. When someone begins to show signs of Ebola, they need to see a doctor as soon as possible. First, the doctor will test the person's blood to confirm that they have Ebola. If the patient does have Ebola, doctors will separate or quarantine him so he does not infect other people. Then, health workers will go back to the places where the patient was when he was sick. This contact tracing helps workers identify other people who have touched the Ebola patient. These people may be at risk of becoming infected. Medical workers tell these individuals about the signs of Ebola and what they should do if someone becomes ill. Lastly, health workers disinfect areas where the Ebola patient has been. All of these actions help stop the spread of Ebola. Another important part of stopping Ebola is widespread education. Fear about Ebola can cause people to worry and even spread false ideas. To fight these false ideas, health workers are using media to educate people about Ebola. They also train local people to recognize signs of the disease. And they teach them what to do when they suspect the Ebola virus. There has been a lot of bad news about the latest Ebola outbreak, but there is also hope. People are learning more about the disease and how to fight it. Ban Ki-moon is the head of the United Nations. In a high-level UN meeting about Ebola, he suggested a major idea. He said the UN should create a force of health workers like UN peacekeeping forces. This health force could travel to countries on short notice to deal with disease outbreaks. He said, Just as our soldiers in blue hats help keep people safe, a force in white medical coats could help keep people safe. Another positive development is that scientists are working even harder to find a vaccine. This medicine would protect people from getting the Ebola virus. Scientists say that by the first half of 2015, people may be able to take a vaccine to prevent Ebola. But before the current outbreak is over, experts believe tens or even hundreds of thousands of people could die. But this number depends on how fast and effectively the world acts with continued international and local action. It is possible to slow and even end the outbreak. Listen for another spotlight program called Heroes of Ebola. This program will tell the stories of local Ebola health workers and their heroic work. The writer of this program was Jen Hawkins. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again and read it on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called Ebola, Fear and Hope. We hope you can join us again for the next spotlight program. Goodbye.