NEW YORK– The Imani House Inc., in Brooklyn, N.Y., is informing residents about Ebola and raising money to lessen the spread of the virus in Liberia. The outbreak of Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The 2014 Ebola outbreak that took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the largest in history and the first in West Africa.

The last major outbreak was in Uganda in December 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by infection and is spread by handling infected animals that are found sick or dying. It is a severe and often fatal disease in humans and animals such as gorillas and monkeys.

Imani House, which “helps low income youth, families and immigrants create a responsible community,” has launched a campaign to raise $75,000 to renovate an isolation unit at the clinic in Liberia, which serves 17,000 people. For more information on how you can help, go to imanihouse.org. (Amsterdam News)

Read the full story here.