One of the most critical concepts in human geography is how things spread through a population and from to place, also known as diffusion. While there are several different types of diffusion the one that is studied most is contagious diffusion, which has almost the same exact definition but with one critical word added, rapid. The examples most often used to understand contagious diffusion are a wildfire burning out of control or, as is happening right now in West Africa, the spread of a disease faster than can be contained or treated. The current outbreak of Ebola is the largest in history and the fear is that it will only continue to grow.
Several factors have contributed to the rapid growth of the crisis:
- A lack of proper medical facilities to identify and treat those infected.
- The early stages of Ebola seem like a standard flu often delaying treatment.
- A mortality rate in some cases as high as 90%.
- Some rural villages refuse to accept that the disease has hit them and often resist outside help.
The final factor that has allowed the disease to spread throughout the region is improved transportation. As people travel they bring the disease with them spreading the infection. Currently the countries most impacted are: Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone but the ticking time bomb is Nigeria with the 7th largest population on Earth. A few days ago an Ebola infected man flew from Liberia to the capital city of Lagos. Once he arrived at the airport he was detained and quarantined at a local hospital where he later died. The primary concern is that over 100 passengers on that flight were not identified and allowed to move freely throughout the city and into other parts of the country. If any of them were infected it has the potential to become a catastrophic tipping point for all of West Africa.
