The Mathematics of the 2014 Ebola Outbreak – R₀

In epidemiology, the basic reproduction number R₀ is the average number of secondary infections from one infected person in a susceptible population. R₀ > 1 → exponential growth; R₀ < 1 → disease dies out. For Ebola 2014, R₀ ≈ 1.5–2.0 (much lower than measles ~15). Containment required reducing R₀ below 1 via isolation, contact tracing, and safe burials. The differential equations (SIR model) were used to forecast case numbers. Mathematics guided real‑time policy, showing that early intervention dramatically reduces peak load.