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Arts & Culture

NOVA: Surviving Ebola

Protective gear
Courtesy of WGBH
Protective gear

Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV

Explore the science behind the headlines in PBS’ premier science series. With compelling stories and spectacular visuals, NOVA programs demystify science and technology for viewers of all ages and spotlight people involved in scientific pursuits.

Ebola treatment center
Courtesy of WGBH
Ebola treatment center

Tracking Disease Outbreaks

Tracking—and stopping—disease outbreaks is the province of specialists known as epidemiologists. Read more about how "disease detectives" work.

"Surviving Ebola" - In December 2013, in a small village in West Africa, a young boy died from the dreaded disease, Ebola. Over the next nine months, the virulent killer would claim more victims than all previous Ebola epidemics put together. And for the first time, the disease escaped the isolated, rural villages where it had first appeared and traveled in infected patients by air to densely populated cities in several African countries.

As the epidemic threatens to spiral out of control, NOVA reports from the hot zone, where courageous medical teams struggle to cope with a flood of victims, to labs where scientists are racing to test vaccines and find a cure. “Surviving Ebola” includes chilling first-hand interviews of what it’s like to contract — and survive — this terrible affliction.

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