Ebola hemorrhagic fever: CDC information

Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola HF) is one of numerous Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. It is a severe, often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).

Ebola HF is caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genusEbolavirus. When infection occurs,symptoms usually begin abruptly. The first Ebolavirus species was discovered in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo near the Ebola River. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically.

Outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone

The Ministries of Health (MoH) of Guinea and Liberia and the World Health Organization (WHO) have reported an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in several Guinean and Liberian districts.

• World Health Organization’s Epidemic and Pandemic alert and Response (EPR)
• Guinea: Ebola epidemic declared, MSF launches emergency response
• Radio spots for Outbreak

More

There are five identified subspecies of Ebolavirus. Four of the five have caused disease in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus); Taï Forest virus (Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus); and Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo ebolavirus). The fifth, Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans.

The natural reservoir host of ebolaviruses remains unknown.