EBOLA VIRUS EVADES MEDICAL COMBATANTS

The current outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the 600,000-population city of Kikwit in the African country of Zaire has been widely publicized around the world. But a spokesman for the World Health Organization put the situation into some perspective: "When you have an epidemic of disease, you have two other epidemics -- panic and rumors."

Americans, particularly, have been sensitized to the potential dangers of viruses by a recent spate of movies -- one starring box-office biggie Dustin Hoffman, plus other made-for-TV movies -- that were designed to chill viewers. And any time an African virus breaks out, memories of the genesis of AIDS come to mind, compounding the anxiety and fear.

The virus was first identified when it struck a village in Zaire in 1976 and killed about 90 percent of the population there. The virus is named for the nearby Ebola River. Victims of the virus become seriously ill and usually die within 48 hours after the first symptoms appear. There is no medicine or cure.

Some health experts believe government officials in Zaire are taking the wrong approach to dealing with the current outbreak. The government is establishing roadblocks in an effort to deter travel that might allow the virus to spread from Kikwit. In fact, it is fairly easy to get through the roadblocks with bribes, and health officials say those who have the virus are too sick to travel anyway, making the roadblocks virtually useless.

Instead, the health experts say, the government should be using whatever resources it has to make more doctors and medical equipment available to the stricken city to contend with the viral outbreak. Medical experts from WHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pasteur Institute and other research institutes are on the scene, but many more doctors and much more equipment is needed to effectively stem the spread of the virus.

Getting the word to people with symptoms of the virus that they need to seek immediate medical help is another matter. Many of the Kikwit residents who are dying or may have been exposed are avoiding hospitals out of fear they may become even sicker.

Meanwhile, there appears to be very little reason to panic elsewhere around the world. The likelihood the virus will spread outside Zaire is slim. But the whole world is watching -- and praying -- for the victims of this terrible virus.