Health officials are now monitoring 50 people in Texas for signs of Ebola, via twice-daily temperature checks, and in recent days, there have been reports that people in other areas of the country — most recently, Washington, D.C. — may be infected with the virus.
But why can't all these people just be tested for Ebola as soon as possible?
Ebola is difficult to diagnose when a person is first infected because the early symptoms, such as fever, are also symptoms of other diseases, such as malaria and typhoid fever.
Image: Scientists working with Ebola must work in Biosafety Level 4 conditions, like those this CDC scientist is working under. Credit: CDC/ Dr. Scott Smith
