Luanda, Angola
A deadly, Ebola-like bleeding disease is spreading across Angola, the World Health Organization said this week. The Marburg virus, a hemorrhagic fever that causes bloody vomiting and diarrhea, spreads through body fluid contact and kills about one-fourth of its victims. It has killed 126 people, mostly small children, since October, in the worst such outbreak ever recorded. Angola, a former Portuguese colony, was embroiled in a 27-year civil war until just a few years ago, and the health care system is rudimentary. There are just 1,200 doctors for 11 million people.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.