Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola fever) is a very contagious illness that is typically fatal in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). Ebola fever first became recognized in 1976, and has appeared sporadically since then.
Where Have Ebola Fever Outbreaks Occurred?
Ebola fever outbreaks typically appear sporadically. Confirmed cases of Ebola fever 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 Ebola fever outbreaks, several research workers became infected with the virus, but did not become ill.
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.