Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare and deadly disease most commonly affecting people and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). It is caused by an infection with a group of viruses within the genus Ebolavirus. The virus initially causes sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat. It progresses to vomiting, diarrhea and both internal and external bleeding. Patients tend to die from dehydration and multiple organ failure. As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. The virus spreads through direct contact with body fluids, such as blood from infected humans or other animals. Spread may also occur from contact with items recently contaminated with bodily fluids. Spread of the disease through the air between primates, including humans, has not been documented in either laboratory or natural conditions. Semen or breast milk of a person after recovery from EVD may carry the virus for several weeks to months. Fruit bats are believed to be the normal carrier in nature, able to spread the virus without being affected by it. Blood samples are tested for viral RNA, viral antibodies or for the virus itself to confirm the diagnosis. The disease was first identified in 1976, in two simultaneous outbreaks: one in Nzara (a town in South Sudan) and the other in Yambuku (Democratic Republic of the Congo), a village near the Ebola River from which the disease takes its name. In July 2019, the World Health Organization declared the current Congo Ebola outbreak a world health emergency.

Many activities help prevent and control Ebola:

Management and Operations

Emergency Management

Border Health

Behavior Health SciencesContact Tracing Evaluation

Vaccine Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)

Laboratory

STEER

GIS/Mapping:

Social Behavioral Science and Community Engagement team

Global Migration

Communications/Information

Policy

Standard Operation Procedures

Training & Capacity development

Safety/Security: 

Between 1976 and 2013, the World Health Organization reports 24 outbreaks involving 2,387 cases with 1,590 deaths. The largest outbreak to date was the epidemic in West Africa, which occurred from December 2013, to January 2016, with 28,646 cases and 11,323 deaths. From 1976 to 2019, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has recorder ten (10) Ebola outbreaks.