Lewis Annis
The Ebola virus is spread in the blood, body fluids or organs of a person or animal
with the infection.
For example, it can be spread by:
 Directly touching the body of someone with the infection who has symptoms
or recently died – the virus can survive for several days outside the body.
 Cleaning up body fluids (blood, stools, urine or vomit) or touching the soiled
clothing of an infected person.
 Handling unsterilized needles or medical equipment used in the care of the
infected person.
 Having sex with an infected person without using a condom – studies show
traces of Ebola may remain in a man's semen many months after he has
recovered.
 Handling or eating raw or undercooked "bushmeat".
Ebola can't be caught through routine social contact, such as shaking hands, with
people who don't have symptoms.
A map of Ebola.
Lewis Annis
Oxfam has reached over 1.4 million people in Ebola affected countries since the
start of our response in May 2014. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, we have provided
dozens of health centers with water infrastructure, such as tanks and pipes, and
medical equipment, including face masks, boots, gloves, chlorine and soap. We
have built hundreds of community hand-washing stations and have provided teams
that carry out contact tracing and burial of the dead with kits containing masks,
overalls, goggles, boots, gloves, chlorine and body bags.
Community engagement is now widely recognized as a critical component of
responding to Ebola. To this, we have also been working with local communities to
get back on their feet; supporting women’s savings groups to restart their
businesses, giving cash support to some of the most vulnerable and providing
tools, seeds and training to farmers.