12. Treatment
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for infection with the Ebola virus. The type of strain creating the disease dictates the severity of symptoms in patients. The Zaire strain of Ebola responsible for the 2016 outbreak is the most severe. Patients infected with this strain of Ebola have a 10-percent chance of survival.
Other strains of Ebola are less aggressive, but they still manage to kill the patient in more than 40-percent of all recorded cases. The only treatment doctors can provide patients is the progressive management of symptoms as they occur.
Medical staff members receive training to provide patients with IV fluids and other treatments to ensure that the patient has the best chance of survival possible. Scientists are currently working on an Ebola vaccine, and initial results prove encouraging in the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Medical teams are hoping that the vaccine provides further insight into the mechanism of the virus.