There is no cure for the Ebola virus, nor any vaccine to protect against it. Since vaccines must be specific to certain strains, it is unlikely that a universal vaccine will be produced for all four vaccines. Many factors could lead to an Ebola outbreak. . Here is a list of conditions that could contribute to such a disastrous event. - the presence of animal or insect vectors near a human population; - exposure to the virus of an individual in a remote environment and return of the individual to a more populated area; - poor hygiene and sanitation within a human population, thereby increasing the risks of contact with bodily fluids (for example, excretions from Ebola patients end up in sewers and human contact is common); - decrease in the level of immunity in the population; - insufficient public health infrastructure (e.g. hospital facilities); - lack of public education regarding the virus; - poor communications infrastructure (causing delay in medical response and public notification). Analyzing these conditions has helped many people understand when, why, and how Ebola disasters occur. So precautions can be taken by following the following preventive measures. After Ebola is spread by one of four transmission methods, Ebola begins to show its symptoms in infected people. The time between Ebola invasion and the appearance of its symptoms is two to twenty-one days. Once Ebola has infected its victim, diagnostic methods must be applied immediately. It can take up to 10 days to be diagnosed with Ebola. The methods used to detect the virus are very slow, compared to how quickly Ebola can kill its victims. Blood or tissue samples are sent to a high-containment laboratory designed to work with infected substances and are tested for specific antigens, antibodies or the genetic material of the virus itself. Recently, a skin test has been developed that can detect infections much more quickly. A skin biopsy sample is fixed in a chemical called Formalin, which kills the virus, and then transported safely to a laboratory. It is treated with chemicals and if dead Ebola virus is present, the sample will turn bright red. There is no specific treatment for the Ebola virus. Patients receive intravenous infusions of fluid and electrolytes, but the purpose of these is simply to keep the patient hydrated while they are in middle of paper...... signs a vaccine that prevents this dreaded disease in humans. This was discovered in November 2000, but no further news has been made available. In conclusion, although the Ebola virus does not yet have a known, universal cure, a possible cure has recently been discovered. Recently, a protein known as cyanovirin-N, found in blue-green algae, has been linked to both HIV and Ebola. Cyanovirin has been shown to partially inhibit the ability of Ebola and HIV to bind and infect cells, thereby extending host survival time (Barrientos, 2003). Cyanovirin has been shown to bind to the exterior of cells inhibiting their ability to cross cell membranes (Barrientos, 2003). Cyanovirin shows promise in its ability to attach to sugar molecules found on the surface of HIV and Ebola (Barrientos, 2003). Research trials have been carried out in animal models, in which test animals were infected with Ebola and given, 2003) .