Ebola Outbreak in West Africa

“Since March, there have been 1,201 cases of Ebola and 672 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone” (Agence France Presse, July 28, 2014). Reports indicate “there is no end in sight to the outbreak, and cases are expected to mount in the coming months” (ibid.). The Ebola outbreak in Liberia was thought to have been curbed, but it reemerged more than three weeks later. Health care workers believe it was reintroduced to the country through border crossings from other African nations (ibid.). Ebola (hemorrhagic fever) is characterized by flu-like symptoms and eventually multiple organ dysfunction. The disease has been linked with the consumption or contact with “bushmeat” (fruit bats, monkeys, etc.) and has a fatality rate between 50-90%. Previous Ebola outbreaks have occurred in the central African countries of Sudan, Uganda and the Congo (Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2014). 

Long ago, God revealed that certain animals should not be eaten and that ignoring these instructions would lead to outbreaks of incurable diseases (see Deuteronomy 14 and 28:27). Jesus Christ stated that one of the signs of the end of the age would be “pestilences” or disease epidemics (Luke 21:11). We should expect to see more outbreaks of fatal diseases as we draw closer to the end of the age.

For more on this topic, read our informative article, “Disease Epidemics: The Fourth Horseman.”