These Photos From Ebola Ground Zero In Liberia Are Horrifying

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Efforts to quarantine areas of Monrovia have turned violent in recent days. John Moore/Getty Images

The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the most severe outbreak of Ebola ever, affecting at least 3,069 people and killing at least 1,552, with most incidents occurring in West Africa's Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria. Already the actual number of people effected could be four times higher and reach 20,000, the World Health Organization has warned.

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Although the outbreak started in Guinea, the highest number of deaths have been reported in Liberia.

Extreme poverty, poor sanitation, a lack of adequate medical equipment, and a distrustful public have made containing the disease difficult for the Liberian government. The scene has been made more horrific by Liberia’s decision to create quarantine zones in some outlying districts of Monrovia, which has incited protests among Liberians.  

Getty photographer John Moore has been in Liberia for the last two weeks, documenting the government’s efforts to stop the spread of the disease.  

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The current Ebola outbreak began in Guinea last December. It wasn’t detected, however, until March. By that time, it had already spread to Liberia, one of the poorest countries in the world.

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John Moore/Getty Images

By June, Ebola cases were being reported in Monrovia, the country’s capital. Doctors Without Borders described the situation as “totally out of control.” West Point, a township of 75,000 people in Monrovia, has been one of the hardest hit.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider

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The widespread poverty in Liberia has made the spread of the disease far worse. With 84% of Liberians below the poverty line, most live in poor living conditions, lack consistent fresh water, and have poor sanitation. When there’s barely enough water to drink, most people don’t think about washing their hands.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: UNICEF

Liberians’ widespread distrust of the government has made containing the spread difficult. Many believe that the Ebola virus is a hoax, made up by the government to hide “cannibalistic rituals.” Here, a Liberian woman attempts to convince local residents that the epidemic is real.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: Reuters

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The misinformation going around Liberia is widespread. Some are accusing the government of creating Ebola to raise foreign aid money. Others believe the disease is caused by sorcery and that doctors are killing patients.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Medical teams in protective suits and doctors speaking foreign languages have reinforced Liberians fears.

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Many Liberians are convinced that people are dying of other causes. Many of the deceased are not tested before burial or cremation. Here, Liberian Ministry of Health workers unload the bodies of Ebola victims onto a funeral pyre.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Large crowds have driven away burial teams in certain areas of Monrovia, shouting that "Ebola is a hoax."

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: National Geographic

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Last week, Moore witnessed a mob of people storm an Ebola isolation ward in West Point. The mob pulled out Ebola patients from the ward, causing many to flee. West Point is a neighborhood known for its widespread drug use, violence, and crime.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: National Geographic

The entire ward was looted, including contaminated mattresses, medical supplies, and clothing. In an interview with National Geographic, Moore reported, "If they did not have Ebola in the community before, it is fair to say that they do now."

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: National Geographic

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Public health advocates are trying to change public attitudes by staging street performances for Ebola awareness and prevention events.

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John Moore/Getty Images

UNICEF health workers have been canvassing Liberia to spread information about Ebola prevention. The most important prevention measure they have been emphasizing is hand-washing.

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In Late July, Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf announced that Liberia would close its borders, establish screening centers, and place the worst-affected areas under quarantine.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider

People suspected of contracting Ebola are being brought to buildings converted to be Ebola isolation wards. Here, Andrew, 14, is about to be taken to an isolation ward.

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Many schools, like this one originally built by USAID, are being converted to Ebola centers. Here, a Liberian man suffering from Ebola has fallen in the ward and was knocked unconscious.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Doctors Without Borders has built a new Ebola treatment center near Monrovia to deal with the crisis. It has 120 beds, but there are plans to expand it to 350 beds. It is the largest such Ebola treatment center in history.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: Doctors Without Borders

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The new Doctors Without Borders center is already overwhelmed, as new patients are brought in every day.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: Doctors Without Borders

Doctors say they haven’t had access to basic equipment like latex gloves, sanitary smocks, rubber boots, and hand sanitizer, forcing them to treat patients with their bare hands, according to the Wall Street Journal. That is changing as UNICEF and the U.S. government have begun to send shipments of medical supplies.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: Wall Street Journal, Agence-France Presse

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This is a new U.S. Center for Disease Control laboratory. It is being used to test the flood of patients coming into the Doctors Without Borders center.

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John Moore/Getty Images

The president has also placed restrictions on public gatherings and ordered hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues to play a video on Ebola safety. The owner of this cinema told Moore that few people have attended the cinema since the outbreak began.

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The Liberian government recently quarantined two high-density neighborhoods outside Monrovia, including the West Point township, shown here. Schools and markets have been closed and government workers have been placed on leave.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider

The quarantine has not gone over well in West Point. Clashes have broken out between Liberian soldiers attempting to enforce the quarantine and the township’s residents. The clashes started when the government blocked roads to the township with tables, chairs, and barbed wire. The situation got so bad Wednesday that soldiers fired live rounds on a crowd throwing stones.

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Efforts to quarantine areas of Monrovia have turned violent in recent days. John Moore/Getty Images

 Source: Reuters

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Prices for food and water in the township have skyrocketed in response to the quarantine.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: CBC News

One of the biggest problems for West Point residents is that they were never warned about the quarantine. Most residents don’t have the funds to stock up on food and water ahead of time. In an effort to calm tensions in West Point, the government has begun delivering tons of rice, oil, and other food stuffs to residents.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: CBC News

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The mass quarantines have been criticized by medical experts who say that the measure is not actually effective at containing the spread of diseases. Dr. Richard Schnabas, the former chief medical officer in Ontario, told CBC the measure is from the "Middle Ages" and has no place in disease prevention today.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: CBC News

Most say it's unlikely that Ebola has hit its peak. According to the World Health Organization, the outbreak could eventually exceed 20,000 cases, more than six times the current known number of cases. Local clinics refused to treat this boy suffering from Ebola because the risk of infection was too great.

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John Moore/Getty Images

Source: Wall Street Journal

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The good news is that, according to President Sirleaf, the vast majority of Liberians outside of West Point are listening to the government and have been making what efforts they can to follow Ebola prevention measures. Even so, the country faces an uphill battle.

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John Moore/Getty

Source: Wall Street Journal,

Liberia isn't the only place photographer John Moore has gotten an inside view of ...

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