After earlier denying that the deadly and incurable Ebola virus has reached the capital Conakry, officials in the west African nation of Guinea are confirming four new infections in the sprawling, tropical city of some two million people.

The four new cases are the brothers of a man who died of Ebola in the center of the country, far from the remote southeast where 62 confirmed deaths occurred.  They returned to the capital and began showing symptoms of the hemorrhagic fever, which kills up to 90 percent of those infected.  The four men have been placed in an isolation ward and the dead man's family has also been quarantined, according to health minister Remy Lamah.

Guinea is one of the poorest nations on earth and ill equipped to handle an outbreak of Ebola in its rural frontiers.  The virus’s arrival in the capital could be disastrous and has people on edge.  Ebola is spread through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids – sweating, sneezing, and other methods of transmission are all too easy, especially to those caring for the afflicted.  Patients are stricken with vomiting, diarrhea, and severe internal and external bleeding.  Doctors and Nurses are often among the victims.

There’s no cure, partially because of good old capitalism – Ebola outbreaks generally occur way out in the boondocks of West and Central Africa.  There is little incentive for major pharmaceutical companies to invest in medical solutions when there is little chance of a return, analysts say, thus there is no vaccine or treatment.  Governments keep a close eye on it for fear it could be weaponized.