Source: National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) — Content from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (public domain).
Key points
* Ebola disease is caused by an infection with an orthoebolavirus.
* Orthoebolaviruses are found primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.
* Orthoebolaviruses can cause serious and often deadly disease, with a mortality rate as high as 80-90%.
* Ebola does NOT spread the same way as respiratory viruses like flu and COVID. You cannot get it from being near someone.__
What it is
Current Ebola outbreak
View updates on the current Ebola outbreak here.
Ebola disease is caused by a group of viruses, known as orthoebolaviruses (formerly ebolavirus)1. These viruses can cause serious illness that, without treatment, can cause death. Orthoebolaviruses were discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are found primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.
Healthcare providers
Review guidance on emergency services, screening, testing, infection control and PPE for viral hemorrhagic fevers, like Ebola disease.
Types
There are 4 types of orthoebolaviruses that cause illness in people:
* **Ebola virus**(species _O_ _rthoebolavirus zairense_) causes Ebola virus disease.
* **Sudan virus** (species _O_ _rthoebolavirus sudanense_) causes Sudan virus disease.
* **Taï Forest virus** (species _O_ _rthoebolavirus taiense_) causes Taï Forest virus disease.
* **Bundibugyo virus** (species _O_ _rthoebolavirus bundibugyoense_) causes Bundibugyo virus disease.
Two other types of orthoebolaviruses have not affected people to date:
* **Reston virus** (species _Orthoebolavirus restonense_) has caused disease in non-human primates like macaques.
* **Bombali virus** (species _Orthoebolavirus bombaliense_) was more recently identified in bats.
Signs and symptoms
Someone with Ebola disease may start getting sick 2 to 21 days after contact with an orthoebolavirus. However, on average, symptoms begin 8 to 10 days after exposure.
People with Ebola disease may experience “dry” symptoms early in the course of illness. These symptoms may include fever, aches, pains, and fatigue. As the person becomes sicker, the illness typically progresses to “wet” symptoms and may include diarrhea, vomiting, and unexplained bleeding.
Keep Reading Signs and Symptoms of Ebola Disease
Risk factors
Healthcare providers and family members caring for someone with Ebola disease without proper infection control methods have the highest risk of infection.
The viruses that cause Ebola disease pose little risk to travelers or the general public.
Ebola disease is very different from COVID-19.
How it spreads
People can get Ebola disease through contact with the body fluids of an infected sick or dead person. A person is only contagious once they begin showing symptoms of the disease. You cannot get Ebola from simply being near someone or passing them in public spaces because it doesn’t spread through the air.
Rarely, some people can get the disease from contact with an infected animal, like a bat or non-human primate.
Ebola does NOT spread the same way as respiratory viruses like flu and COVID. You cannot get it from being near someone.
Keep Reading How Ebola Disease Spreads
Prevention
If you live in or are traveling to regions where Ebola disease has been diagnosed or is suspected, take steps to protect yourself.
Avoid contact with body fluids
Avoid contact with body fluids, including:
* Blood, urine, feces, saliva, sweat, vomit, breast milk, amniotic fluid, semen, and vaginal fluid from people who are sick
* Semen from someone who has recovered from Ebola disease until testing shows that the virus is no longer in the semen
Also, avoid contact with:
* Clothes, bedding, needles, medical equipment, or other items that may have touched an infected person's blood or body fluids
* The body of someone who is suspected or confirmed to have had Ebola disease (for instance, as part of a funeral or burial practices)
* Bats, forest antelopes, primates, and blood, fluids, or raw meat from these or unknown animals
Wear personal protective equipment
Wear personal protective equipment if you come in contact with people who are sick or have died from Ebola disease, their blood and body fluids, or objects covered with their blood or body fluids.
Monitor your health
If you return from an area with an ongoing Ebola outbreak, monitor your health for 21 days. Seek medical care immediately if you develop symptoms of Ebola disease.
Ebola vaccine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved ERVEBO® for the prevention of Ebola disease in species Orthoebolavirus zairense only. Vaccination is recommended for U.S. adults 18 years and older who are at potential risk of exposure to the Ebola virus.
Ebola Vaccine Product Information
Testing and diagnosis
Healthcare providers order polymerase chain reaction (PCR) blood testing to diagnose Ebola disease in people who are alive. They can also do blood testing for orthoebolavirus antibodies to see if the patient recently had Ebola disease.
Someone being tested for Ebola disease should be separated from other people in a healthcare facility until results are confirmed.
For Health Care Providers Clinical Guidance for Ebola Disease
Treatment
Two FDA-approved treatments2 are currently available to treat Ebola disease only in the Orthoebolavirus zairense species: Inmazeb™ and Ebanga™.
Supportive care
Patients have a much better chance of surviving if they receive:
* Fluids and electrolytes (body salts) by mouth or into their veins.
* Medicine to support blood pressure, reduce vomiting and diarrhea, and to manage fever and pain.
* Treatment for other infections, if they occur.