What Is Ebola?
While it is relatively rare, the Ebola virus is a severe illness when it occurs. For an estimated 50 percent of people who contract Ebola, the disease is fatal. In some outbreaks, fatality rates have varied from 25 percent to 90 percent.
The first Ebola outbreaks occurred in 1976 in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests and the Ebola River, from which it got its name. In the Central African outbreaks, the illness was confined to rural areas, but in West Africa, it also involved major urban areas.
Ebola virus symptoms include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and severe bruising or bleeding.