What is Ebola? Most people would have to ask this question. But ever since the outbreak of the deadly virus, most everybody is educated on what this disease does.

Ebola is an infectious and generally fatal disease marked by fever and severe internal bleeding, spread through contact with infected body fluids. A filo virus whose normal host species is unknown. As of late there have been major outbreaks in African countries such as Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. But what does this mean for the American doctors and missionaries that are traveling back to the states?

An American missionary named Nancy Writebol has officially been infected with Ebola virus after giving help in Liberia for current Ebola patients. She is now only the second American to pick up this horrible virus. Writebol was flown from Liberia to Atlanta, GA. But it raises the question, is this safe to bring patients with Ebola back to US soil?

People all over the country have been flustered with Ebola patients and doctors being brought back to US soil having been around the virus, but there is information that these people might not know.

Ebola isn’t an airborne disease. Ebola is spread in the community through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes). This is why the Ebola workers and helpers are wearing the full body suits. As long as patients are isolated away from human contact and doctors are appropriately covered it is very difficult to acquire the virus. But never count it out.