Nightly News   |  April 14, 2014

Ebola Spreads from Jungle to Urban Centers

Health officials are taking no chances in racing to contain an outbreak of one of the world’s deadliest viruses.

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>>> of the world's medical professiona professionals, especially in the field of infectious disease and public health is feared of a major outbreak in one of the deadliest diseases known to the planet, the ebola virus . in recent weeks it spread quickly in west africa killing more than 100 people raising concerns it could move quickly beyond there and pose an even brooder threat. our report from our chief foreign correspondent richard eng engel.

>> reporter: health officials are taking no chances as they race to contain an outbreak of the world's deadliest virus, e ba boll la. there is no cure or vaccine and it's broken out in an urban area . in the capitol of guinea, population 2 million. dr. tim jagatic from doctors without boarders works from there and spoke to us by phone.

>> in the urban area , we have more possibilities for more contact with people moving around different parts of the city. people leaving the city, leaving different parts of the country, possibly leaving the country.

>> reporter: ebola is not easy to catch. transmitted only from direct contact with blood or saliva but highly lethal. the world's health organization is very concerned.

>> this is one of the most challenging ebola outbreaks we have faced and the reasons why this is one of the most challenging outbreaks, is that first, we see a wide gee graphic disbursement of cases.

>> reporter: more than 100 people have died in this outbreak. it traveled quickly starting just weeks ago in a remote jungle spreading to the capitol and crossing into liberia and sierra leon . authorities sealed the boarders with those countries. medical officials set up ice lace units and screening at airports to prevent the virus going global. what are the chances it could spread to the u.s.?

>> it could be extremely unlikely there would be an outbreak in the united states by the very nature of how this virus gets transmitted from one person to another.

>> reporter: experts don't know if the virus is contained or still spreading. although health officials do not expect ebola to spread to the united states , this shows, brian, we increasingly live in a global village connected by airports where an outbreak in a remote part of west africa causes concern around the world.

>> that's what makes it an urgent story overseas.