All,

     As a follow-on to passage of the US Embassy Monrovia Notice to US Citizens in my previous e-mail, I thought it might be useful to provide everyone with this CNN release that summarizes the impact of the current outbreak.  The article contains a link titled “Ebola: Fast Facts.”  I highly recommend you take the time to open this link and review (1) the video interview of an Ebola research doctor and (2) an historic timeline tracing back to the first discovery of the disease.

     While there are no drugs currently available to cure or stop Ebola, the best defense for all of us is a solid and thorough awareness of how to recognize and avoid the causes of the disease and how it is transmitted.

Officials: Deadliest Ebola outbreak ever

(CNN) - The deadliest Ebola outbreak in history continues to plague West Africa as leaders scramble to stop the virus from spreading.

Over the weekend, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf closed most of the country's borders. The few points of entry that are still open will have Ebola testing centers and will implement preventive measures, she said. The president also placed restrictions on public gatherings and ordered hotels, restaurants and other entertainment venues to play a five-minute video on Ebola safety.

"No doubt the Ebola virus is a national health problem," Sirleaf said. "It attacks our way of life, with serious economic and social consequences. As such we are compelled to bring the totality of our national resolve to fight this scourge."

• As of July 20, the World Health Organization had confirmed 224 cases of Ebola in Liberia, including 127 deaths. Overall, Ebola has killed at least 660 people in West Africa. There were 45 new cases reported in the region between July 18 and July 20.

Ebola: Fast Facts

Health officials are worried about the virus spreading to other countries in the region. On Friday, a Liberian man with Ebola died in Lagos, Nigeria, Nigerian Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said.

Patrick Sawyer arrived at Lagos' airport on July 20 and was isolated at a local hospital after exhibiting common Ebola symptoms. He told officials he had no direct contact with anyone who had the virus.

Lagos State Health Commissioner Dr. Jide Idris said authorities are working to identify people who may have come in contact with the man on his flights. The process has been delayed, he said, because the airline has not provided the passenger lists for all three of the flights Sawyer took. Sawyer flew first to Ghana before he went to Togo and then switched planes to fly to Nigeria, according to the health commissioner.

"In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Aviation, I've also put into motion mechanisms to track down all contacts at high risk," Idris said.

The state department has identified 59 people so far who came into contact with the man. Twenty have been tested for Ebola.