Your questions to Tulip Mazumdar

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Tulip Mazumdar

The world's deadliest outbreak of the Ebola virus has so far killed more than 670 people across West Africa.

BBC reporter, Tulip Mazumdar, has just come back from Guinea where the outbreak has killed hundreds. She has visited hospitals where doctors have been treating patients.

She answered your questions about the situation there in a live Twitter Q&A.

This is an edited version of the session:

Question from Gabriel Eliandro Iboro on Facebook: Should we be optimistic about a cure for this Ebola outbreak or give up already?

Tulip answers: There are vaccines and treatments being developed but they're not ready yet. No to giving up - emergency teams are focused on controlling the outbreak.

Question from Bello Ahmed Timileyin on Facebook: Is Ebola a man-made disease?

Tulip answers: Ebola is passed to humans from animals, including fruit bats. Some argue deforestation could be contributing to the problem - not conclusive.

Question from @Xander_TS: How long does one have to live after being infected with the Ebola virus?

Tulip answers: No set time but, the incubation period is 21 days. By the time people are diagnosed, they tend to die quickly.

Question from Karen via email: Is the spread continuing to be worsened by religious customs?

Tulip answers: Not religious, more cultural. Funeral practices - where people wash the body - is helping spread the virus.

Question from @mighty_knighty: Do you get the sense the community are more trusting and engaged in medical pro's in affected area?

Tulip answers: They're becoming more trusting in some areas, but still lots of fear around virus which is hindering medics efforts to help

Question from @LekanWaheed: If one touches an infected person will you get infected? Even if they don't put his hand in his mouth?

Tulip answers: Not necessarily. Ebola is spread through body fluids eg. if you touch an infected person and they are sweating, your risk increases.

Question from Ashley Stubbs on Facebook: Do they hold aid workers being evacuated for a period of time making sure they're not infected?

Tulip answers: Each agency has own rules, but won't isolate aid workers unless they show symptoms or they know of skin on skin contact

Question from Ini Obong via email: Can Ebola be transmitted via mosquito bite?

Tulip answers: Science journals report that there is no evidence of this happening

For more tweets from Tulip Mazumdar you can follow her Twitter account.