Ebola outbreak: Timeline of outbreak in West Africa

Ebola, a rare and often fatal disease, caused by Ebola virus and spreads through mucous and other body fluid or secretions such as stool, urine, saliva and semen of infected people. Ebola is not an airborne virus. It claimed lives of more than 8000 people in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone worst hit by the disease last year.

December 2013

The first case was reported from Gueckedou in Guinea in December 2013 when a 2-year-old died after suffering for four days with an unidentified hemorrhagic fever. His mother died a week later while his 3-year-old sister died on December 29.

January 2014
People came in contact with the virus when they attended the funeral of "Patient Zero's" grandmother who died on January 1. Her village, Meliandou, is located near to the Sierra Leone and Liberian borders.

February 2014

Fever, vomiting and severe diarrhea were reported among people of Macenta, Nzérékoré and Kissidougou, Guinea. People like health workers, and families who came in contact with these infected people also fell sick.

March 2014

At least 60 MSF field workers went to Guinea to help to stop outbreak. 112 suspected and confirmed Ebola cases including 70 deaths were reported in Guinea. Liberia got two confirmed cases and Sierra Leone recorded two suspected deaths.
Travel and trade recommendations were also recommended for the affected countries. By March end some 122 cases were reported mostly in Guinea.

April 2014
Number of cases reached to 157.

May 2014

A total of 226 Ebola cases, including 149 deaths were reported by Guinea's health minister. Liberia has 13 cases, 11 deaths.

June 2014

WHO says more than 600 cases and 390 deaths have been reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The mortality rate can be up to 90%.

July 2014

By end of July around 1,201 people got infected (Guinea 427, Liberia 249, Sierra Leone 525) and killed 672 people (Guinea 319, Liberia 129, Sierra Leone 224), according to the WHO. Patrick Sawyer becomes the first American citizen to die of the Ebola. Sierra Leone's leading Ebola doctor Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan died after treating patients for Ebola at Kenema Government Hospital.

August 2014

A businessman with Ebola died in Saudi Arabia. He had been to Sierra Leone for work. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf declared a state of emergency for 90 days because of the deadly outbreak. Ivory Coast closed the border it shares with Guinea and Liberia and by end of August over 3000 people got infected with the Ebola virus.

September 2014

Ebola has orphaned about 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

October 2014

Ebola screenings started at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Some 4,546 people have died from Ebola. There had been 10,141 Ebola cases in eight affected countries since the outbreak began with, 4,922 deaths, according to WHO.

December 2014

TIME magazine named "The Ebola Fighters" as its 2014 "Person of the Year."