Ebola Fever

Ebola hemorrhagic fever (also known as Ebola fever) is a contagious illness that is often fatal. First recognized in 1976, Ebola is caused by infection with the Ebola virus. Outbreaks of the illness have occurred in several African countries. Symptoms often appear abruptly and can include fever, sore throat, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, and bleeding. There is no cure for Ebola; treatment typically involves providing supportive care to manage symptoms of the illness while the body fights the infection.

What Is Ebola Fever?

Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola fever) is a very contagious illness that is typically fatal in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). It first became recognized in 1976, and has appeared sporadically since then.
 

Where Have Outbreaks Occurred?

Ebola fever outbreaks typically appear sporadically. Confirmed cases of Ebola infections have been reported in:
 
  • Gabon
  • The Ivory Coast
  • Uganda
  • Sudan
  • The Republic of the Congo
  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
     

Have There Been Cases of Ebola Fever in the United States?

There has never been a reported case of Ebola fever in humans in the United States. Ebola-Reston virus caused severe illness and death in monkeys imported to research facilities in the United States and Italy, from the Philippines; during these outbreaks, several research workers became infected with the virus, but did not become ill.
 

What Causes Ebola?

The cause of Ebola fever is an infection with the Ebola virus (see Ebola Pictures). The Ebola virus was first recognized in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), in Africa, and was named after one of the rivers there.
 
There two members of a family of RNA viruses called the Filoviridae, and Ebola is one of them. There are four identified subtypes of Ebola virus. Three of the four have caused disease in humans:
 
  • Ebola-Sudan
  • Ebola-Zaire
  • Ebola-Ivory Coast.
     
The fourth Ebola virus subtype, Ebola-Reston, has not caused disease in humans, but has in nonhuman primates.
 
(Click Causes of Ebola for more information on what causes Ebola.)
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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