Reports on the Ebola outbreak in Africa have been flooding news sources since the very beginning.

Ebola causes viral hemorrhagic fever which is a virus group that affects several organ systems and is accompanied by bleeding.

Symptoms of Ebola infection include fever, weakness, headaches, sore throat, and muscle pain. In more severe cases of Ebola, however, symptoms progress to diarrhea, vomiting, impaired kidney/liver function, and bleeding – both internal and external.

As sickness and death tolls rise across the ocean, it’s easy for people to become fearful that an Ebola outbreak will happen in the United States.

The most recent development in Ebola news is that two Americans, Dr. Kent Brantly, a doctor working in West Africa, and Nancy Writebol, a goodwill missionary, have contracted the virus. Although they were both receiving treatment in Africa, officials decided they would have a better chance for survival if they were brought back to the United States.

Dr. Brantly, first to be transported, arrived at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday afternoon.

Every precaution was taken to transport the Ebola doctor safely. He arrived from Africa on a private jet that landed at a military base. During the flight, he was quarantined in a portable tent designed to transport a single infectious patient at a time. He was then outfitted in a full-body protective suit and transported to the hospital by ambulance. There, he was able to walk on his own, with help.

The Ebola patients will be held in the hospital’s containment unit. It is cut off from the rest of the hospital and is behind glass with a speaker installed, which means most staff won’t have to interact with the Ebola patients directly.

“From the time the air ambulance arrives in the metro Atlanta area, up to and including being hospitalized at Emory University Hospital, we have taken every precaution we know and that our colleagues at the CDC know to ensure no spread of this pathogen,” Emory’s Dr. Bruce Ribner said, before the Ebola doctor’s arrival.

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been directly involved in the evacuation of the Ebola patients evacuation and have clearly stated that the chance of an Ebola outbreak in America is improbable, fear-mongers and conspiracy theorist have used Ebola as a way to stir up a scare with the public.

According to theAssociated Press, the CDC has received nasty calls from citizens saying things like, “how dare you bring Ebola into the country!?”

Donald Trump jumped on the Ebola scare bandwagon with several tweets. One even seemed to indicate that people who go outside the country to help others actually deserve things like Ebola.

The U.S. cannot allow EBOLA infected people back. People that go to far away places to help out are great-but must suffer the consequences! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2014

It’s important to note that Ebola is relatively difficult to catch.

Ebola is neither airborne nor waterborne, and can only be spread through contact with organs, blood, urine, saliva and other bodily fluids belonging to Ebola patients.

Ebola spreads most easily in areas with water and sanitation issues.

[ Image courtesy of Beaumont Enterprises ]