[xxxyy]

Ebola is a very "clever" virus with its interferon-blocking properties. But still, out of the infections we still cannot vaccinate against, influenza has been the single most deadly one in the past, and sexually transmitted diseases are the real issue in the developed world. Why don't we encourage people to have flu shots and use condoms? Well, we do. But this is boring.

So I guess Ebola is big news because it is something new on the panic scene, sweating with blood sounds crazy dangerous, the fears have been accelerated by having the outbreak in a place that "has been forgotten by the god", devastated by wars being fought by children. As to why there is nothing to be afraid of, take a look at the CDC's data.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/prev...