Whenever something big hits the news, you can be sure that both facts and misinformation will be floating around. The Ebola outbreak of 2014 is no different, and it has everyone’s tongues wagging. The problem is that not all of the information that you hear is true, which just adds to the feelings of panic and concern you might already feel.

Ebola virus disease (or Ebola hemorrhagic fever) was first found to infect humans in 1976. Because the deadly disease was discovered relatively recently, there is no cure or vaccine for Ebola, and treatment options are limited. Ebola is considered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to be a highly infectious disease, yet not particularly contagious.