Ebola is spreading all over Michigan!!

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Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease)

About Ebola Virus Disease
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Ebola Virus Ecology and Transmission

Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus species. Ebola can cause disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).

Ebola is caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genus Ebolavirus. There are five identified Ebola virus species, four of which are known to cause disease in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus); Taรฏ Forest virus (Taรฏ Forest ebolavirus, formerly Cรดte dโ€™Ivoire ebolavirus); and Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo ebolavirus). The fifth, Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans.

Ebola viruses are found in several African countries. Ebola was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in the usa.

The natural reservoir host of Ebola virus remains unknown. However, on the basis of evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe that the virus is animal-borne and that bats are the most likely reservoir. Four of the five virus strains occur in an animal host native to Africa.

People get Ebola through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with

blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola,
objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with body fluids from a person who is sick with Ebola or the body of a person who has died from Ebola,
infected fruit bats or primates (apes and monkeys), and
possibly from contact with semen from a man who has recovered from Ebola (for example, by having oral, vaginal, or anal sex)
Related Links

U.S. Case Definition for Ebola Virus Disease
Questions and Answers on the 2014 West Africa Ebola Outbreak
Information for Laboratories
illustration of colorful DNA strand behind the text – CDC uses next-generation sequencing to identify hemorrhagic fever viruses in bats

MMWR Ebola Reports

Page last reviewed: February 18, 2016
Page last updated: February 18, 2016 and Preventio
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology