Ebola virus disease

Ebola Virus

Ebola virus disease is a serious illness that originated in Africa, where a large outbreak occurred in 2014-15. In June 2016, the outbreak was officially declared over.

The 2014-15 outbreak of Ebola mainly affected three countries in west Africa: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Some cases also occurred in parts of central Africa.

Around 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths were reported by the World Health Organization. This was the largest known outbreak of Ebola.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 2 Mar 2018

Articles for ebola virus disease

Ebola Virus

Ebola virus disease is a serious illness that originated in Africa, where a large outbreak occurred in 2014-15.

There's still a small chance occasional cases of Ebola may occur in Africa as the virus is present in several countries there, but the risk for people travelling to Africa is minimal. People who remai

Symptoms of Ebola

A person infected with Ebola virus will typically develop: a high temperature (fever) a headache joint and muscle pain a sore throat severe muscle weakness These symptoms start suddenly between 2 an

What to do if you become ill

Get medical advice as soon as possible if you become ill while travelling abroad. It's extremely unlikely you have Ebola, but it could be another serious condition such as cholera or malaria, so it's

How Ebola virus is spread

The Ebola virus is spread in the blood, body fluids or organs of a person or animal with the infection. For example, it can be spread by: directly touching the body of someone with the infection who

Treatment for Ebola

There's currently no licensed treatment or vaccine for Ebola, although potential new vaccines and drug therapies are being developed and tested. Any area affected by an outbreak should be immediately

Preventing Ebola

The Ebola outbreak in west Africa is now over. The risk of catching the infection while travelling to previously affected countries is very small. But if you're visiting one of these areas, it's still

Health News