How did Ebola get its name?
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe disease that is caused by a virus. Ebola is named for the river in Africa where the disease was first recognized in 1976.
Is Ebola a country?
Ebola was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, the virus has emerged periodically from its natural reservoir (which remains unknown) and infected people in several African countries.
Where is the Ebola River?
The Ebola River (/iˌboʊlə/ or /əˈboʊlə/), also commonly known by its indigenous name Legbala, is the headstream of the Mongala River, a tributary of the Congo River, in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is roughly 250 kilometers (160 mi) in length.
Is Ebola a city?
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. EVD outbreaks occur intermittently in tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
What animal causes Ebola?
Scientists do not know where Ebola virus comes from. Based on similar viruses, they believe EVD is animal-borne, with bats or nonhuman primates being the most likely source. Infected animals carrying the virus can transmit it to other animals, like apes, monkeys, duikers and humans.
Who did Ebola affect the most?
The impact this epidemic had on the world, and particularly West Africa, is significant. A total of 28,616 cases of EVD and 11,310 deaths were reported in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. There were an additional 36 cases and 15 deaths that occurred when the outbreak spread outside of these three countries.
Which country has the most Ebola cases?
Health authorities have rushed to respond to the cases in Guinea, anxious to prevent a repeat of the last outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,300 people, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in the worst Ebola epidemic on record.
What country is Ebola in now?
As of 14 February 2021, four cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including two deaths, have been reported in the North Kivu province in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where a large outbreak was declared over in June 2020.