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Ebola Disease


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										In the areas where Ebola disease is most common, ebolaviruses are believed to spread at low rates among certain animal populations. Ebolaviruses can spread to a person when they come in contact with an infected animal. Once infected, a person can become sick with Ebola disease and spread the virus to other people who come in contact with them.
When living in or traveling to a region where ebolaviruses are potentially present, there are several ways to protect yourself and prevent the spread of Ebola disease.
Avoid contact with blood and body fluids (such as urine, feces, saliva, sweat, vomit, breast milk, amniotic fluid, semen, and vaginal fluids) of people who are sick.
Avoid contact with semen from a man who has recovered from Ebola disease, until testing shows that the virus is gone from his semen.
Avoid contact with items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment).
Avoid funeral or burial practices that involve touching the body of someone who is suspected or confirmed to have had Ebola disease.
Avoid contact with bats, forest antelopes, nonhuman primates (such as monkeys and chimpanzees), and the blood, fluids, or raw meat prepared from these or unknown animals.These same prevention methods should be used when living in or traveling to an area affected by an Ebola outbreak. After returning from an Ebola-affected area, people should monitor their health for 21 days and seek medical care immediately if they develop symptoms of Ebola disease.
Ebola Vaccine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Ebola vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV (called Ervebo®) on December 19, 2019. This vaccine is given as a single dose vaccine and has been found to be safe and protective against Ebola virus (species *Zaire ebolavirus*) only, which has caused the largest and most deadly Ebola outbreaks to date. This is the first FDA-approved vaccine for an ebolavirus.
On February 26, 2020, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended pre-exposure prophylaxis vaccination with rVSV-ZEBOV for adults ≥ 18 years of age in the U.S. population who are at potential occupational risk of exposure to *Zaire ebolavirus*. This recommendation includes adults who are
Responding or planning to respond to an outbreak caused by Ebola virus;
Laboratorians or other staff working at biosafety-level 4 facilities that work with live Ebola virus in the United States; or
Healthcare personnel working at federally designated Ebola Treatment Centers [PDF – 1 MB] in the United States.For healthcare providers looking for information about the Ebola vaccine and vaccinating ACIP recommended groups, visit Ebola Vaccine: Information about Ervebo®.
A two-dose vaccine regimen of a different vaccine that was also designed to protect against the *Zaire ebolavirus* species of Ebola was used under a research protocol in 2019 during an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The two doses of this vaccine use two different vaccine components (Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo) and the regimen requires an initial dose and a “booster” dose 56 days later. This vaccine has not yet been approved by the FDA for routine use.Related ResourcesTransmission
Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  March 23, 2023						Source: 	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DHCPP), Viral Special Pathogens Branch (VSPB)
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        Syndicate homeEbola Disease
What is Ebola Disease?
Transmission
Signs and Symptoms
Prevention and Vaccineplus icon
Handwashing
Diagnosis
Treatmentplus icon
Survivors
Outbreaksplus icon
History of Ebola Outbreaks
Ebola Disease Distribution Map: Cases of Ebola Disease in Africa Since 1976
September 2022 Uganda, Mubende District
August 2022 Democratic Republic of the Congo, North Kivu
April 2022 Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equateur Province
October 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo, North Kivu Province
2021 Guinea, N’Zérékoré Prefecture
February 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo, North Kivu Province
2020 Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equateur Province
2018 Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congoplus icon
Overview
What’s New
What CDC is Doing
Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola Outbreak Map
Ebola Communication and Awareness Resources
2018 Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bikoro
2017 Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bas Uélé District
2014–2016 Ebola Outbreak in West Africaplus icon
The Cost of the Ebola Epidemic
2014–2016 Ebola Outbreak Distribution in West Africa
Case Counts
2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa Epidemic Curves
2014 Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Outbreak Preparedness
Outbreak Response Storiesplus icon
A Focus on Ebola Response
It’s not over until it’s over
Long flights, long days mark vaccine campaign
Roads to Uganda
How community feedback shapes the Ebola response
Ebola outbreak becomes a class act for EIS officers
In the shadow of the volcano
Congo-born CDC photographer rooting for Ebola responders
Fighting Ebola on familiar ground
There’s no silver bullet
Strength In Numbers
Responding to a case of Ebola in Goma
Fighting Ebola: Every day is a Monday
Protecting the Health of Communities
Collaborating across Time Zones
Being Creative in Goma
Crunching the Numbers
Supporting the Laboratory in Uganda
Supporting the Ministry of Health
Protecting Uganda’s Border
Watching DRC’s Border
Cliniciansplus icon
Ebola Disease for U.S. Cliniciansplus icon
Infection Prevention and Control
Acute Hemodialysis
Pregnant Women
Handling Human Remains
Neonatal Care
Ebola Vaccine: Information about ERVEBO®plus icon
Contraindications and precautions for ERVEBO®
Administration of ERVEBO®
Request initial doses ERVEBO®
Request Booster Doses of ERVEBO®
Screening Patientsplus icon
Guide for Evaluating an Ill Person
Management of Survivors
Considerations for Discharging people under evaluation for selected Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHF)
Hospital Guidance
Survivability of Ebolaviruses in Medical Waste
Handling Ebola-Associated Waste
Emergency Servicesplus icon
EMS Systems and 9-1-1 Answering Points
Air Medical Transport SOP
Patient Handoff SOP
Air-to-Ground Patient Handoff SOP
Ambulance Decontamination
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)plus icon
Guidance for Confirmed Ebola Patients or Clinically Unstable PUIs
Guidance for Clinically Stable PUIs
Ebola PPE Frequently Asked Questions
Non-US Healthcare Settingsplus icon
Preventing Injury from Injections and Sharps in Non-U.S. General Healthcare Settings
Hand Hygiene in Non-U.S. General Healthcare Settings
Rationale and Considerations for Chlorine Use in Infection Control for Non- U.S. General Healthcare Settings
Laboratory Testingplus icon
Specimen Collection, Transport, and Submission
Packing and Shipping Specimens
Managing and Testing Routine Clinical Specimens
Non-CDC Resources
Health Departments and Plannersplus icon
Guide for Monitoring a Returned Traveler
Case Reporting Recommendations
Top 10 Ebola Response Planning Tips
Hospital Preparednessplus icon
Preparing Frontline Healthcare Facilities
Preparing Ebola Assessment Hospitals
Preparing Ebola Treatment Centers
Cleaning and Decontaminationplus icon
Guidance for Decontamination and Removal of Ebolavirus-Contaminated Waste for U.S. Residence
Guidance for Handling Untreated Sewage
FAQs: Guidance for Managers and Workers Handling Untreated Sewage from Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Ebola Disease in the U.S.
Guidance for Cleaning, Disinfection, and Waste Disposal in Commercial Passenger Aircraft
Resourcesplus icon
Communication Materialsplus icon
Videos and Audio
Posters and Factsheets
Media Archive
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