Ebola virus disease (EVD; also Ebola hemorrhagic fever, or EHF), or simply Ebola, is a disease of humans and other primates caused by Ebola viruses.
The virus spreads by direct contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected human or other animal.
Fruit bats are believed to be the normal carrier in nature, able to spread the virus without being affected by it. Humans become infected by contact with the bats or with a living or dead animal that has been infected by bats. After human infection occurs, the disease may also spread between people.
Through 2013, the World Health Organization reported a total of 1,716 cases in 24 outbreaks. The largest outbreak to date is the ongoing epidemic in West Africa, which is centered in Guinea,Sierra Leon and Liberia. As of 1 December 2014, this outbreak has 17,290 reported cases resulting in 6,460 deaths.
The length of time between exposure to the virus and the development of symptoms (incubation period) is between 2 to 21 days. Most often this is between 4 to 10 days. However, recent estimates based on mathematical models predict that around 5% of cases may take greater than 21 days to develop.
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