Six months after the Ebola outbreak was declared: What happens when a deadly virus hits the destitute?

On 23 March 2014, the WHO published formal notification of an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Guinea on its website. On 8 August, WHO declared the epidemic to be a "public health emergency of international concern." This assessment traces the early origins and subsequent evolution of the epidemic, and considers where we stand today, looking at current outbreaks in each affected country and some overarching trends – and surprises – in the overall epidemic. It also gives epidemiological projections of how the epidemic is likely to evolve.

• Read the introduction

Ground zero in Guinea: the outbreak smoulders – undetected – for more than 3 months

A retrospective on the first cases of the outbreak

Liberia: misery and despair tempered by some good reasons for hope

Much-needed offers of relief offer hope for desperate families and their ill loved ones

Sierra Leone: a traditional healer and a funeral

More than 300 Ebola cases link back to one funeral

Ebola in Nigeria and Senegal: stable – for the moment

Two countries come close to declaring “all clear”

Democratic Republic of Congo: "classic" Ebola in a country experiencing its seventh outbreak

A typical outbreak begins with a woman handling bushmeat brought home by her husband

A fast-moving Ebola epidemic full of tragic surprises

The first time the Ebola virus has hit large cities and urban slums

What this – the largest Ebola outbreak in history – tells the world

Deadly pathogens exploit weak health systems

How the 4 biggest outbreaks since the start of this century shattered some long-standing myths

An important wake-up call for countries to prepare better for disease outbreaks

Ebola in West Africa: heading for catastrophe?

Strong control measures needed to stop steep climb in cases