Ebola, explained
Ebola is a contagious disease transmitted through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids. The virus can cause fevers, diarrhea, pain, vomiting, and attack our blood clotting system, potentially leading to excessive internal bleeding and fatality rates as high as 90%. There are six known species of the virus, but only four—Ebola Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo, and Tai Forest—have been known to sicken humans. There’s an FDA-approved vaccine to combat Ebola Zaire, but not the other three Ebola virus species. The 2026 Ebola outbreak is spurring the development of new experimental vaccines targeting Bundibugyo.
Ebola was first discovered in humans in 1976 during outbreaks caused by two distinct virus species, one in southern Sudan (now known as South Sudan) and the other in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo). But until the mid-1990s, cases were sporadic among humans and typically occurred in isolated areas, killing infected individuals. The first major Ebola outbreak occurred in 1994, and the 2014-16 West African outbreak proved to be the deadliest to date. Most existing evidence suggests that bats are the reservoir species for Ebola.
Historically, Ebola treatment consisted of rehydration with intravenous fluids or oral rehydration and maintenance of oxygen and blood pressure, but there are now two approved monoclonal antibody treatment options that mimic the immune system’s antibodies to block the virus from replicating.
Explore everything else we’ve found on Ebola.
Also, check out …
> Learn about the three Ebola species that have killed the most people. (Read)
> See what the Ebola virus does inside the body. (Watch)
> What did the most famous book about Ebola get wrong? (Read)
> What’s the natural reservoir for Ebola? (Read)
> See the most famous images of the Ebola virus. (View)
> Bundibugyo is a (now highly stigmatized) place in western Uganda. (Read)
