This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have been to an area with an Ebola outbreak and feel unwell, call NHS 111 or your GP before going in person.
Ebola disease is a rare but severe illness that affects people and other primates, such as gorillas and chimpanzees. It spreads through the blood and body fluids of infected people and animals, and on average kills around half of those it infects. Here are 12 facts about Ebola.
1It was discovered in 1976.
Ebola was first identified in 1976, during two outbreaks at almost the same time: one in Nzara, in what is now South Sudan, and one in Yambuku, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
2It is named after a river.
The scientists who identified the virus named it after the Ebola River, near Yambuku. They chose the river rather than the village to avoid linking the village’s name with the disease.
3Fruit bats are the likely source.
Fruit bats are thought to be the natural host of the virus. People can catch it from close contact with infected animals, such as bats, monkeys and apes, including through handling bushmeat.
4There are six known species of the virus.
Scientists have identified six species of orthoebolavirus. Three of them, the Ebola, Sudan and Bundibugyo viruses, have caused large outbreaks in people. The Reston virus has infected people without making them ill.
5It spreads through body fluids, not through the air.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood, vomit, faeces or other body fluids of someone who is ill or has died from the disease, or with things contaminated by those fluids. It does not spread through the air like flu or COVID-19, and people are not infectious before their symptoms start.
6Funerals have spread the disease.
The body of someone who has died from Ebola is still highly infectious. Traditional burial practices that involve washing or touching the body have played a large part in spreading outbreaks, which is why safe burial teams are a key part of the response.
7Early symptoms look like many other illnesses.
Ebola usually begins between 2 and 21 days after infection with fever, tiredness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This makes it hard to tell apart from malaria or typhoid at first. Vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some cases, bleeding can follow.
8Around half of people who catch it die.
According to the WHO, the average fatality rate is about 50%, although it has ranged from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. Early care, such as fluids and treatment of symptoms, greatly improves the chances of survival.
9The West Africa epidemic was the largest ever.
The outbreak that began in Guinea in December 2013 spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia and lasted until 2016. It caused more than 28,600 cases and more than 11,300 deaths, more than all previous outbreaks combined.
10There is now a vaccine.
The Ervebo vaccine, which protects against the Ebola virus species, was approved in 2019 after trials during the West Africa epidemic. It has since been used to protect health workers and contacts of patients in outbreaks in the DRC and elsewhere.
11There are now proven treatments too.
In 2020 two antibody treatments, Inmazeb and Ebanga, were approved in the United States after a trial in the DRC showed they greatly improved survival. However, there are still no approved vaccines or treatments for the Sudan or Bundibugyo viruses.
12The virus can hide in survivors.
Ebola can survive in parts of the body such as the eyes and testes after a person has recovered. It has been passed on through semen more than a year after recovery, so the WHO advises male survivors to practise safer sex until their semen has tested negative twice.
FAQs about Ebola
Can you survive Ebola?
Yes. Many people survive, especially if they get early medical care. Survivors may have long-term problems such as joint pain, tiredness and eye problems.
Is there a vaccine for Ebola?
Yes, for the Ebola virus species, which causes most outbreaks. There is currently no approved vaccine for the Sudan or Bundibugyo viruses.
How does Ebola spread?
Through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or animal, or with objects contaminated by them. It is not spread through the air.
Sources and further reading
Explore more: facts about malaria and facts about COVID-19.
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