Ebola virus disease is a serious, often fatal condition in humans and non-human primates. It is based on several viral hemorrhagic fevers, caused by an infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae , genus Ebolavirus.
Ebola death rates vary by strain. For example, Ebola-Zaire can have a death rate of up to 90 percent, while Ebola-Reston has never caused a death in humans.
The infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. Ebola virus disease (EVD) is often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, severe weakness, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat.
What is the history of Ebola?
The first cases of Ebola were recorded simultaneously in 1976 in Yambuku, near the Ebola River in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and in Nzara, Sudan. Since then, outbreaks or asymptomatic cases of Ebola in humans and animals have emerged intermittently in the following locations due to outbreaks, laboratory contamination, and accidents: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan (South Sudan), Senegal, United Kingdom, United States (US), Philippines, Italy, Spain, Gabon, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Russia, Uganda, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
The 2014 Ebola outbreak was the largest in history, mainly affecting Guinea, northern Liberia and Sierra Leone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that the epidemic caused more than 11,000 deaths, almost all occurring in West Africa.
In the United States, reports indicate that there have been two imported cases, including one death and two locally acquired cases in medical workers. A small number of cases were also documented in Nigeria, Mali, and Senegal, but health authorities were able to contain these cases and prevent further spread.
Â
On July 31, 2015, The Lancet published the preliminary results of a vaccine trial funded and organized by WHO; The Ebola vaccine was 100% effective in the trial, which took place in Guinea and involved 4,000 people. The next step is to make these vaccines available as soon as possible.
Â
Â
