Guinea faces an outbreak of the killer viral Ebola Disease on an “unprecedented” scale, according to the medical charity Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders.  Guinea’s president is appealing for calm as the regional death toll surpassed 80 lives lost.

MSF is experienced in dealing with outbreaks of Ebola, which kills up to 90 percent of those infected.  But this one is worrisome, because unlike previous outbreaks that have been concentrated in small areas, it is spread out over several locations that are hundreds of kilometers apart – including the sprawling capital of Conakry.

“We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases,” said MSF’s Mariano Lugli.  “This geographical spread is worrisome because it will greatly complicate the tasks of the organizations working to control the epidemic.”

The current outbreak started in Guinea’s southeast.  But it took authorities six weeks to identify the virus, allowing those infected to spread it around the country and across the border into Liberia.  78 patients died in Guinea, and four more died across the border in Liberia.  Sierra Leone suspects eight cases with six fatalities.

Ebola is spread by bodily fluids and causes diarrhea, vomiting, and internal and external bleeding.  The incubation period from infection is as long as 21 days.  That’s plenty of time for someone to be infected from caring for a sick relative and later traveling long distances, possibly infecting others.