Brief Ebola General History Brief General History of Ebola In 1976, Ebola (named after the Ebola River in Zaire) first emerged in Sudan and Zaire. The first outbreak of Ebola (Ebola-Sudan) infected over 284 people, with a mortality rate of 53%. A few months later, the second Ebola virus emerged from Yambuku, Zaire, Ebola-Zaire (EBOZ). EBOZ, with the highest mortality rate of any of the Ebola viruses (88%), infected 318 people. Despite the tremendous effort of experienced and dedicated researchers, Ebola's natural reservoir was never identified. The third strain of Ebola, Ebola Reston (EBOR), was first identified in 1989 when infected monkeys were imported into Reston, Virginia, from Mindanao in the Philippines. Fortunately, the few people who were infected with EBOR (seroconverted) never developed Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF).

The last known strain of Ebola, Ebola Cote d'Ivoire (EBO-CI) was discovered in 1994 when a female ethologist performing a necropsy on a dead chimpanzee from the Tai Forest, Cote d'Ivoire, accidentally infected herself during the necropsy. Map of Ebola Outbreaks in Africa Map of Ebola Reston Infected Monkeys in Philippines ©1999 Tara Waterman How Ebola Got Its Name How Ebola Got Its Name By Bahar Gholipour, Staff Writer | October 9, 2014 06:07pm ET MORE This aerial photograph shows the small village of Yambuku in Zaire, where in 1976, the first signs of the Ebola virus appeared in a patient treated at a mission hospital run by Flemish nuns. Credit: Dr. Joel G. Breman The Ebola virus that's causing the devastating outbreak in West Africa didn't even have a name just 38 years ago when it first surfaced and caused a mysterious illness among villagers in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The international team of scientists who were tasked with investigating that 1976 Ebola outbreak were shocked at the sight of the virus and the disease it caused, Dr. Peter Piot, co-discoverer of the virus, recalls in his memoir " No Time to Lose : A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses." (W. W. Norton & Company, 2012) The scientists had looked at blood samples sent from Africa under the microscope in a Belgian laboratory, and the virus looked like a worm or a long string, unlike almost all viruses known. And once the team got on the ground in Zaire, they saw how rapidly the virus spread and how quickly it killed its victims. They knew they had to figure out how this mysterious new virus was being transmitted, what it did inside the body, and how it could be stopped. But they also had to figure out a name for the new virus. [ 10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species ] The story of how Ebola got its name is short and somewhat random, according to Piot's account in his book. Late one night, the group of scientists discussed over Kentucky bourbon what the virus they were hunting should be named.

The virus had surfaced in a village called Yambuku, so it could be named after the village, argued one team member, Dr. Pierre Sureau, of the Institut Pasteur in France, Piot recalls. But naming the virus Yambuku would run the risk of stigmatizing the village, said another scientist, Dr. Joel Breman, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This had happened before, for example, in the case of Lassa virus, which emerged in the town of Lassa in Nigeria in 1969. It was Karl Johnson, another researcher from the CDC, and the leader of the research team, who suggested naming the virus after a river, to tone down the emphasis on a particular place. One obvious option would have been the Congo River, which is the deepest river in the world and flows through the country and its rainforest. But there was a problem—another virus with a similar name already existed. That virus was the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. So the scientists looked at a small map, pinned up on the wall, for any other rivers near Yambuku.

On the map, it appeared that the closest river to Yambuku was called Ebola, meaning "Black River," in the local language Lingala. "It seemed suitably ominous," Piot writes. However, the map was inaccurate, and the Ebola river turned out not to be the closest river to Yambuku, Piot says. "But in our entirely fatigued state, that's what we ended up calling the virus: Ebola." And so Ebola joined the list of viruses named after rivers. Other members include the mosquito-borne Ross river virus, which causes a debilitating infection and is named after a river in northern Queensland in Australia, and the Machupo virus, which causes Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, or "black typhus," and is named after a Bolivian river. Many other viruses, too, have been named after a feature of their place of origin, including West Nile virus discovered in 1937, coxsackievirus discovered in 1948 (Coxsackie is a town in New York), Marburg virus discovered in 1967 (Marburg is a town in Germany), and Hendra virus identified 1994 (Hendra is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia).

The tradition continues today. Last year, after months of being called by a number of names, the newly discovered coronavirus finally got an official name -- Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV. Email Bahar Gholipour . Follow Live Science @livescience , Facebook & Google+ . Originally published on Live Science . Editor's Recommendations How Ebola Got Its Name How Ebola Got Its Name Bahar Gholipour Microscopic view of Ebola virus (EBOV). (Getty Images) More The Ebola virus that's causing the devastating outbreak in West Africa didn't even have a name just 38 years ago when it first surfaced and caused a mysterious illness among villagers in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The international team of scientists who were tasked with investigating that 1976 Ebola outbreak were shocked at the sight of the virus and the disease it caused, Dr. Peter Piot, co-discoverer of the virus, recalls in his memoir " No Time to Lose : A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses." (W. W.

Norton & Company, 2012) The scientists had looked at blood samples sent from Africa under the microscope in a Belgian laboratory, and the virus looked like a worm or a long string, unlike almost all viruses known. And once the team got on the ground in Zaire, they saw how rapidly the virus spread and how quickly it killed its victims. They knew they had to figure out how this mysterious new virus was being transmitted, what it did inside the body, and how it could be stopped. But they also had to figure out a name for the new virus. [ 10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species ] The story of how Ebola got its name is short and somewhat random, according to Piot's account in his book. Late one night, the group of scientists discussed over Kentucky bourbon what the virus they were hunting should be named. The virus had surfaced in a village called Yambuku, so it could be named after the village, argued one team member, Dr. Pierre Sureau, of the Institut Pasteur in France, Piot recalls. But naming the virus Yambuku would run the risk of stigmatizing the village, said another scientist, Dr.

Joel Breman, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This had happened before, for example, in the case of Lassa virus, which emerged in the town of Lassa in Nigeria in 1969. It was Karl Johnson, another researcher from the CDC, and the leader of the research team, who suggested naming the virus after a river, to tone down the emphasis on a particular place. One obvious option would have been the Congo River, which is the deepest river in the world and flows through the country and its rainforest. But there was a problem—another virus with a similar name already existed. That virus was the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. So the scientists looked at a small map, pinned up on the wall, for any other rivers near Yambuku. On the map, it appeared that the closest river to Yambuku was called Ebola, meaning "Black River," in the local language Lingala. "It seemed suitably ominous," Piot writes. However, the map was inaccurate, and the Ebola river turned out not to be the closest river to Yambuku, Piot says.

"But in our entirely fatigued state, that's what we ended up calling the virus: Ebola." And so Ebola joined the list of viruses named after rivers. Other members include the mosquito-borne Ross river virus, which causes a debilitating infection and is named after a river in northern Queensland in Australia, and the Machupo virus, which causes Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, or "black typhus," and is named after a Bolivian river. Many other viruses, too, have been named after a feature of their place of origin, including West Nile virus discovered in 1937, coxsackievirus discovered in 1948 (Coxsackie is a town in New York), Marburg virus discovered in 1967 (Marburg is a town in Germany), and Hendra virus identified 1994 (Hendra is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia). The tradition continues today. Last year, after months of being called by a number of names, the newly discovered coronavirus finally got an official name -- Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV.

WHO | Ebola virus disease Ebola virus disease Updated January 2016 Key facts Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. The first EVD outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests, but the most recent outbreak in West Africa has involved major urban as well as rural areas. Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, namely case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe burials and social mobilisation. Early supportive care with rehydration, symptomatic treatment improves survival. There is as yet no licensed treatment proven to neutralise the virus but a range of blood, immunological and drug therapies are under development. There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines but 2 potential candidates are undergoing evaluation. Background The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated.

Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, one in what is now, Nzara, South Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter occurred in a village near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name. The current outbreak in West Africa, (first cases notified in March 2014), is the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976. There have been more cases and deaths in this outbreak than all others combined. It has also spread between countries starting in Guinea then spreading across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia, by air (1 traveller) to Nigeria and USA (1 traveller), and by land to Senegal (1 traveller) and Mali (2 travellers). The most severely affected countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, have very weak health systems, lack human and infrastructural resources, and have only recently emerged from long periods of conflict and instability. On August 8, the WHO Director-General declared the West Africa outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the International Health Regulations (2005).

The virus family Filoviridae includes three genera: Cuevavirus, Marburgvirus, and Ebolavirus. There are five species that have been identified: Zaire, Bundibugyo, Sudan, Reston and Taï Forest. The first three, Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus, and Sudan ebolavirus have been associated with large outbreaks in Africa. The virus causing the 2014 West African outbreak belongs to the Zaire species. Transmission It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts. Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest. Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids. Health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed EVD.

This has occurred through close contact with patients when infection control precautions are not strictly practiced. Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola. People remain infectious as long as their blood contains the virus. Sexual transmission More surveillance data and research are needed on the risks of sexual transmission, and particularly on the prevalence of viable and transmissible virus in semen over time. In the interim, and based on present evidence, WHO recommends that: All Ebola survivors and their sexual partners should receive counselling to ensure safe sexual practices until their semen has twice tested negative. Survivors should be provided with condoms. Male Ebola survivors should be offered semen testing at 3 months after onset of disease, and then, for those who test positive, every month thereafter until their semen tests negative for virus twice by RT-PCR, with an interval of one week between tests. Ebola survivors and their sexual partners should either: abstain from all types of sex, or observe safe sex through correct and consistent condom use until their semen has twice tested negative. Having tested negative, survivors can safely resume normal sexual practices without fear of Ebola virus transmission.

Based on further analysis of ongoing research and consideration by the WHO Advisory Group on the Ebola Virus Disease Response, WHO recommends that male survivors of Ebola virus disease practice safe sex and hygiene for 12 months from onset of symptoms or until their semen tests negative twice for Ebola virus. Until such time as their semen has twice tested negative for Ebola, survivors should practise good hand and personal hygiene by immediately and thoroughly washing with soap and water after any physical contact with semen, including after masturbation. During this period used condoms should be handled safely, and safely disposed of, so as to prevent contact with seminal fluids. All survivors, their partners and families should be shown respect, dignity and compassion. For more, read the Guidance on clinical care for survivors of Ebola virus disease Symptoms of Ebola virus disease The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms is 2 to 21 days. Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms. First symptoms are the sudden onset of fever fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding (e.g.

oozing from the gums, blood in the stools). Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes. Diagnosis It can be difficult to distinguish EVD from other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever and meningitis. Confirmation that symptoms are caused by Ebola virus infection are made using the following investigations: antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antigen-capture detection tests reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay electron microscopy virus isolation by cell culture. Samples from patients are an extreme biohazard risk; laboratory testing on non-inactivated samples should be conducted under maximum biological containment conditions. Treatment and vaccines Supportive care-rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids- and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival. There is as yet no proven treatment available for EVD. However, a range of potential treatments including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies are currently being evaluated. No licensed vaccines are available yet, but 2 potential vaccines are undergoing human safety testing. Prevention and control Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, namely case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe burials and social mobilisation.

Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Raising awareness of risk factors for Ebola infection and protective measures that individuals can take is an effective way to reduce human transmission. Risk reduction messaging should focus on several factors: Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat. Animals should be handled with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing. Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption. Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission from direct or close contact with people with Ebola symptoms, particularly with their bodily fluids. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at home. Reducing the risk of possible sexual transmission, based on further analysis of ongoing research and consideration by the WHO Advisory Group on the Ebola Virus Disease Response, WHO recommends that male survivors of Ebola virus disease practice safe sex and hygiene for 12 months from onset of symptoms or until their semen tests negative twice for Ebola virus. Contact with body fluids should be avoided and washing with soap and water is recommended.

WHO does not recommend isolation of male or female convalescent patients whose blood has been tested negative for Ebola virus. Outbreak containment measures, including prompt and safe burial of the dead, identifying people who may have been in contact with someone infected with Ebola and monitoring their health for 21 days, the importance of separating the healthy from the sick to prevent further spread, and the importance of good hygiene and maintaining a clean environment. Controlling infection in health-care settings: Health-care workers should always take standard precautions when caring for patients, regardless of their presumed diagnosis. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (to block splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe burial practices. Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus should apply extra infection control measures to prevent contact with the patient’s blood and body fluids and contaminated surfaces or materials such as clothing and bedding. When in close contact (within 1 metre) of patients with EBV, health-care workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures). Laboratory workers are also at risk.

Samples taken from humans and animals for investigation of Ebola infection should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories. WHO response WHO aims to prevent Ebola outbreaks by maintaining surveillance for Ebola virus disease and supporting at-risk countries to developed preparedness plans. The document provides overall guidance for control of Ebola and Marburg virus outbreaks: When an outbreak is detected WHO responds by supporting surveillance, community engagement, case management, laboratory services, contact tracing, infection control, logistical support and training and assistance with safe burial practices. WHO has developed detailed advice on Ebola infection prevention and control: Rare and Deadly Diseases: Ebola: Africa's Bloody Disease Rare and Deadly Diseases Legionnaires' Disease The Ebola virus was first associated with an outbreak of 318 cases of a hemorrhagic disease in Zaire. Of the 318 cases, 280 of them died—and died quickly. That same year, 1976, 284 people in Sudan also became infected with the virus and 156 died. The viruses that cause Ebola and Marburg are similar, infecting both monkeys and people. The outbreaks of these diseases are often self-contained, however, because they kill their hosts so quickly that they rapidly run out of people to infect.

The Zaire strain of Ebola virus has a mortality rate of 88 percent, which is higher than either the Sudan strain of Ebola or the Marburg virus. Antigen Alert A closely related virus, called Reston, was isolated from animals in the Philippines, indicating that these diseases are not completely confined to Africa. So far, Reston has not been found to cause disease in people. Transmission electron micrograph of the Ebola virus. (Courtesy CDC. Photo C. Goldsmith) The Ebola virus spreads through the blood, multiplying in many organs. It causes severe damage to the liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, ovaries, and testes. Platelets and linings of arteries are severely damaged, which results in profuse bleeding. Mucosal surfaces of the stomach, heart membrane, and vagina are also affected. Internal bleeding results in shock and acute respiratory distress, leading to death. Ebola's Frightening Symptoms Once a patient is infected with Ebola, the incubation period is 4 to 16 days. The onset of disease is sudden, with fever, chills, headache, anorexia, and muscle pain. As the disease progresses, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, stomach pain, and diarrhea are common.

Most patients develop severe hemorrhages, usually between days five and seven. Bleeding occurs from multiple sites, including the digestive tract, lungs, and gums. Death occurs within 7 to 16 days. Infectious Knowledge The Ebola virus was named after the Ebola River, in the Congo. The disease has occurred in Congo, Sudan, the Ivory Coast, and Uganda. There has never been a case in the United States. Potent Fact Some people recover from Ebola. No one fully understands why. How Ebola Is Spread Epidemics result from person-to-person contact within communities, families, and hospitals, or from inadvertent laboratory exposures. The means of infection and the natural ecology of these viruses are largely unknown, although an association with monkeys and/or bats has been suggested. Diagnosing Hemorrhagic Fevers Marburg, Ebola, and Reston viruses can be isolated from the blood of people who are infected. They produce distinct antibody responses that are easy to detect. These antibodies appear 10 to 14 days after initial infection. Unlike most other infectious agents, there is significant risk to health-care workers and laboratory technicians in handling and processing blood or tissue samples infected with Ebola.

Disease Diction The index case is the first case of disease in an outbreak. If epidemiologists can find the index case, sometimes it helps them figure out how a disease began to spread. Treatment and Vaccines There are no drugs that work against these diseases, and there is no known vaccine. Therapy involving blood plasma from people who have recovered, anticoagulation agents, which attempt to reduce hemorrhaging, and interferon have been used with limited success. Their effectiveness remains controversial. The most effective way to reduce or prevent transmission in an outbreak is through the proper use of barrier protection for doctors and nurses. This includes the use of gloves and masks, with gloves being changed after every patient. Another important protection in a hospital is being sure all equipment is properly sterilized. People don't carry the virus. They get sick and their infected blood and bodily fluids infect others. Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dangerous Diseases and Epidemics © 2002 by David Perlin, Ph.D., and Ann Cohen. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

How Ebola Got Its Name | The Huffington Post How Ebola Got Its Name 10/13/2014 09:50 am ET By: Bahar Gholipour Published: 10/10/2014 11:35 AM EDT on LiveScience The Ebola virus that's causing the devastating outbreak in West Africa didn't even have a name just 38 years ago when it first surfaced and caused a mysterious illness among villagers in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The international team of scientists who were tasked with investigating that 1976 Ebola outbreak were shocked at the sight of the virus and the disease it caused, Dr. Peter Piot, co-discoverer of the virus, recalls in his memoir " No Time to Lose : A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses." (W. W. Norton & Company, 2012) The scientists had looked at blood samples sent from Africa under the microscope in a Belgian laboratory, and the virus looked like a worm or a long string, unlike almost all viruses known. And once the team got on the ground in Zaire, they saw how rapidly the virus spread and how quickly it killed its victims.

They knew they had to figure out how this mysterious new virus was being transmitted, what it did inside the body, and how it could be stopped. But they also had to figure out a name for the new virus. [ 10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species ] The story of how Ebola got its name is short and somewhat random, according to Piot's account in his book. Late one night, the group of scientists discussed over Kentucky bourbon what the virus they were hunting should be named. The virus had surfaced in a village called Yambuku, so it could be named after the village, argued one team member, Dr. Pierre Sureau, of the Institut Pasteur in France, Piot recalls. But naming the virus Yambuku would run the risk of stigmatizing the village, said another scientist, Dr. Joel Breman, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This had happened before, for example, in the case of Lassa virus, which emerged in the town of Lassa in Nigeria in 1969.

It was Karl Johnson, another researcher from the CDC, and the leader of the research team, who suggested naming the virus after a river, to tone down the emphasis on a particular place. One obvious option would have been the Congo River, which is the deepest river in the world and flows through the country and its rainforest. But there was a problem—another virus with a similar name already existed. That virus was the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. So the scientists looked at a small map, pinned up on the wall, for any other rivers near Yambuku. On the map, it appeared that the closest river to Yambuku was called Ebola, meaning "Black River," in the local language Lingala. "It seemed suitably ominous," Piot writes. However, the map was inaccurate, and the Ebola river turned out not to be the closest river to Yambuku, Piot says. "But in our entirely fatigued state, that's what we ended up calling the virus: Ebola." And so Ebola joined the list of viruses named after rivers.

Other members include the mosquito-borne Ross river virus, which causes a debilitating infection and is named after a river in northern Queensland in Australia, and the Machupo virus, which causes Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, or "black typhus," and is named after a Bolivian river. Many other viruses, too, have been named after a feature of their place of origin, including West Nile virus discovered in 1937, coxsackievirus discovered in 1948 (Coxsackie is a town in New York), Marburg virus discovered in 1967 (Marburg is a town in Germany), and Hendra virus identified 1994 (Hendra is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia). The tradition continues today. Last year, after months of being called by a number of names, the newly discovered coronavirus finally got an official name -- Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV. How Ebola got its name | Fox News How Ebola got its name Published October 10, 2014 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print This photo provided by the CDC shows an ebola Virus. U.S.

health officials are monitoring the Ebola outbreak in Africa but say the risk of the deadly germ spreading to the United States is remote. (AP Photo/CDC) (The Associated Press) The Ebola virus that's causing the devastating outbreak in West Africa didn't even have a name just 38 years ago when it first surfaced and caused a mysterious illness among villagers in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The international team of scientists who were tasked with investigating that 1976 Ebola outbreak were shocked at the sight of the virus and the disease it caused, Dr. Peter Piot, co-discoverer of the virus, recalls in his memoir" No Time to Lose : A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses." (W. W. Norton & Company, 2012) The scientists had looked at blood samples sent from Africa under the microscope in a Belgian laboratory, and the virus looked like a worm or a long string, unlike almost all viruses known. And once the team got on the ground in Zaire, they saw how rapidly the virus spread and how quickly it killed its victims. They knew they had to figure out how this mysterious new virus was being transmitted, what it did inside the body, and how it could be stopped.

But they also had to figure out a name for the new virus. [ 10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species ] The story of how Ebola got its name is short and somewhat random, according to Piot's account in his book. Late one night, the group of scientists discussed over Kentucky bourbon what the virus they were hunting should be named. The virus had surfaced in a village called Yambuku, so it could be named after the village, argued one team member, Dr. Pierre Sureau, of the Institut Pasteur in France, Piot recalls. But naming the virus Yambuku would run the risk of stigmatizing the village, said another scientist, Dr. Joel Breman, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This had happened before, for example, in the case of Lassa virus, which emerged in the town of Lassa in Nigeria in 1969. It was Karl Johnson, another researcher from the CDC, and the leader of the research team, who suggested naming the virus after a river, to tone down the emphasis on a particular place. One obvious option would have been the Congo River, which is the deepest river in the world and flows through the country and its rainforest.

But there was a problemanother virus with a similar name already existed. That virus was the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. So the scientists looked at a small map, pinned up on the wall, for any other rivers near Yambuku. On the map, it appeared that the closest river to Yambuku was called Ebola, meaning "Black River," in the local language Lingala. "It seemed suitably ominous," Piot writes. However, the map was inaccurate, and the Ebola river turned out not to be the closest river to Yambuku, Piot says. "But in our entirely fatigued state, that's what we ended up calling the virus: Ebola." And so Ebola joined the list of viruses named after rivers. Other members include the mosquito-borne Ross river virus, which causes a debilitating infection and is named after a river in northern Queensland in Australia, and the Machupo virus, which causes Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, or "black typhus," and is named after a Bolivian river.

Many other viruses, too, have been named after a feature of their place of origin, including West Nile virus discovered in 1937, coxsackievirus discovered in 1948 (Coxsackie is a town in New York), Marburg virus discovered in 1967 (Marburg is a town in Germany), and Hendra virus identified 1994 (Hendra is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia). The tradition continues today. Last year, after months of being called by a number of names, the newly discovered coronavirus finally got an official name -- Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV. Copyright 2014 LiveScience , a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Advertisement Ebola Fast Facts - CNN.com Ebola Fast Facts CNN Library Updated 1:07 PM ET, Mon December 26, 2016 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

JUST WATCHED Ebola 'patient zero's' dad: I thought it was witchcraft (CNN) Here's some background information about Ebola , a virus with a high fatality rate that was first identified in Africa in 1976. Facts: Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by one of five different Ebola viruses. Four of the strains can cause severe illness in humans and animals. The fifth, Reston virus, has caused illness in some animals, but not in humans. The first human outbreaks occurred in 1976, one in northern Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo ) in Central Africa: and the other, in southern Sudan (now South Sudan) . The virus is named after the Ebola River, where the virus was first recognized in 1976, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ebola is extremely infectious but not extremely contagious. It is infectious, because an infinitesimally small amount can cause illness. Laboratory experiments on nonhuman primates suggest that even a single virus may be enough to trigger a fatal infection. Ebola could be considered moderately contagious, because the virus is not transmitted through the air.

Read More Humans can be infected by other humans if they come in contact with body fluids from an infected person or contaminated objects from infected persons . Humans can also be exposed to the virus, for example, by butchering infected animals. While the exact reservoir of Ebola viruses is still unknown, researchers believe the most likely natural hosts are fruit bats . Symptoms of Ebola typically include : weakness, fever, aches, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Additional experiences include rash, red eyes, chest pain, throat soreness, difficulty breathing or swallowing and bleeding (including internal). Typically, symptoms appear 8-10 days after exposure to the virus, but the incubation period can span two to 21 days. Unprotected health care workers are susceptible to infection because of their close contact with patients during treatment. Ebola is not transmissible if someone is asymptomatic and usually not after someone has recovered from it. However, the virus has been found in semen for up to three months, and "possibly" is transmitted from contact with that semen, according to the CDC.

Deadly human Ebola outbreaks have been confirmed in the following countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, South Sudan, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Republic of the Congo (ROC), Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. There are five subspecies of the Ebola virus: Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV) and Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) Click here for the CDC's list of known cases and outbreaks.

2014-2016 West Africa Outbreak: (Full historical timeline at bottom) Cases listed below include confirmed, probable or suspected cases of Ebola as of March-April, 2016 ( World Health Organization and CDC ): Italy - 1 case, 0 deaths Guinea - 3,811 cases, 2,543 deaths Liberia - 10,675 cases, 4,809 deaths Mali - 8 cases, 6 deaths Nigeria - 20 cases, 8 deaths Senegal - 1 case, 0 deaths (infection originated in Guinea) Sierra Leone - 14,124 cases, 3,956 deaths Spain - 1 case, 0 deaths United Kingdom - 1 case, 0 deaths United States - 4 cases, 1 death (two infections originated in the United States, one in Liberia and one in Guinea) March 25, 2014 - The CDC issues its initial announcement on an outbreak in Guinea, and reports of cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

"In Guinea, a total of 86 suspected cases, including 59 deaths (case fatality ratio: 68.5%), had been reported as of March 24, 2014. Preliminary results from the Pasteur Institute in Lyon, France suggest Zaire ebolavirus as the causative agent." April 16, 2014 - The New England Journal of Medicine publishes a report, speculating that the current outbreak's Patient Zero was a two-year-old from Guinea. The child died on December 6, 2013, followed by his mother, sister and grandmother over the next month. July 2014 - Patrick Sawyer, a top government official in the Liberian Ministry of Finance, dies at a local Nigerian hospital. He is the first American to die in what officials are calling "deadliest Ebola outbreak in history." July 2014 - Nancy Writebol , an American aid worker in Liberia, tests positive for Ebola. According to Samaritan's Purse, Writebol is infected while treating Ebola patients in Liberia.

July 26, 2014 - Kent Brantly , medical director for Samaritan Purse's Ebola Consolidated Case Management Center in Liberia, is infected with the virus. According to Samaritan's Purse, Brantly is infected while treating Ebola patients. July 29, 2014 - According to Doctors Without Borders, Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan who was overseeing Ebola treatment at Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone dies from complications of the disease . July 30, 2014 - The Peace Corps announces it is removing its volunteers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. July 31, 2014 - CDC raises its warning to Level 3 . It warns US residents to avoid "nonessential travel" to Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia. August 4, 2014 - CNN reports that three top secret, experimental vials of the drug, "ZMapp," were flown into Liberia last week in a last-ditch effort to save Brantly and Writebol, according to a source familiar with details of the treatment. Doctors report "significant improvement." August 6, 2014 - Nancy Writebol arrives at Emory in Atlanta for treatment.

August 8, 2014 - Experts at the World Health Organization declare the Ebola epidemic ravaging West Africa an international health emergency that requires a coordinated global approach, describing it as the worst outbreak in the four-decade history of tracking the disease. August 19, 2014 - Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf declares a nationwide curfew beginning August 20 and orders two communities to be completely quarantined, with no movement in or out of the areas. August 21, 2014 - Dr. Kent Brantly is discharged from Emory University Hospital. It is also announced that Nancy Writebol had been released on Tuesday, August 19. The releases come after Emory staff are confident Brantly and Writebol pose "no public health threat." September 6, 2014 - The government of Sierra Leone announces plans for a nationwide lockdown from September 19-21, in order to stop the spread of Ebola. The lockdown is being billed as a predominantly social campaign rather than a medical one, in which volunteers will go door-to-door to talk to people.

September 16, 2014 - President Barack Obama calls the efforts to combat the Ebola outbreak centered in West Africa "the largest international response in the history of the CDC." Speaking from the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Obama adds that "faced with this outbreak, the world is looking to" the United States to lead international efforts to combat the virus. He says the United States is ready to take on that leadership role. September 30, 2014 - Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, announces the first diagnosed case of Ebola in the United States. The person has been hospitalized and isolated at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas since September 28. October 1, 2014 - Liberian government officials release the name of the first diagnosed case of Ebola in the United States: Thomas Eric Duncan . October 6, 2014 - A nurse's assistant in Spain becomes the first person known to have contracted Ebola outside Africa in the current outbreak. The woman helped treat two Spanish missionaries, both of whom had contracted Ebola in West Africa, one in Liberia and the other in Sierra Leone. Both died after returning to Spain.

On October 19, Spain's Special Ebola Committee says that nurse's aide Teresa Romero Ramos is considered free of the Ebola virus. October 6, 2014 - NBC freelance cameraman Ashoka Mukpo arrives at Nebraska Medical Center for treatment after contracting Ebola in Liberia. On October 21, the hospital says that Mukpo no longer has the Ebola virus in his bloodstream and will be allowed to leave. October 8, 2014 - Thomas Eric Duncan dies of Ebola in Dallas. October 11, 2014 - Nina Pham , a Dallas nurse who cared for the now-deceased Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan, tests positive for Ebola during a preliminary blood test. She is the first person to contract Ebola on American soil. October 15, 2014 - Amber Vinson , a second Dallas nurse who also cared for Thomas Eric Duncan, is diagnosed with Ebola. Authorities say Vinson flew on a commercial jet from Cleveland to Dallas days before testing positive for Ebola.

October 20, 2014 - Under fire in the wake of Ebola cases involving two Dallas nurses, the CDC issues updated Ebola guidelines that stress the importance of more training and supervision, and recommend that no skin be exposed when workers are wearing personal protective equipment, or PPE. October 23, 2014 - Craig Spencer, a 33 year-old doctor who recently returned from Guinea has tested positive for Ebola -- the first case of the deadly virus in New York City and the fourth diagnosed in the United States. October 24, 2014 - The National Institutes of Health announces one of the Dallas nurses, Nina Pham, has been declared free of the Ebola virus. Doctors at Emory University Hospital say tests no longer detect the virus in the blood of the other nurse, Amber Vinson. Pham is released from a Maryland hospital on October 24, and Vinson is released from an Atlanta hospital on October 28. October 24, 2014 - In response to the New York Ebola case, the governors of New York and New Jersey announce that their states were stepping up airport screening beyond federal requirements for travelers from West Africa.

The new protocol mandates a quarantine for any individual, including medical personnel, who has had direct contact with individuals infected with Ebola while in Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Guinea. The policy allows the states to determine hospitalization or quarantine for up to 21 days for other travelers from affected countries. November 5, 2014 - Nurse's aide Maria Teresa Romero Ramos, believed to be the first person to contract Ebola outside of Africa, is released from the hospital in Madrid, Spain. November 11, 2014 - Dr. Craig Spencer, the first person to test positive for Ebola in New York City, is released from Bellevue Hospital. With Spencer free of the virus, all US patients who had Ebola have recovered. November 15, 2014 - Dr. Martin Salia, who became infected with Ebola while treating patients in Sierra Leone, arrives at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Salia, a native of Sierra Leone, is a legal permanent resident of the United States married to a US citizen. November 17, 2014 - Dr. Salia dies at Nebraska Medical Center.

November 21, 2014 - The World Health Organization declares an end to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A total of 66 cases and 49 deaths were recorded. December 24, 2014 - The CDC announces that a technician will be monitored for three weeks after possibly being exposed to the Ebola virus at one of the agency's Atlanta labs. The agency reports a small amount of material which may have contained the live virus had been mistakenly transferred from one lab to another. December 2014 - American doctor Ian Crozier, who had been declared free of Ebola and released from Emory University Hospital in October 2014, finds the virus in his left eye . He had contacted the disease while working in Sierra Leone. Not at risk of spreading the disease, Dr. Crozier is treated and on his way to Liberia by early April 2015. May 9, 2015 - The World Health Organization declares an end to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. More than 4,000 died. November 2015 - Liberia's health ministry says three new, confirmed cases of Ebola have emerged in the country.

December 29, 2015 - The World Health Organization declares Guinea is free of Ebola after 42 days pass since the last person confirmed to have the virus was tested negative for a second time. January 14, 2016 - A statement is released by the UN stating that "For the first time since this devastating outbreak began, all known chains of transmission of Ebola in West Africa have been stopped and no new cases have been reported since the end of November." January 15, 2016 - A new case of Ebola - in Sierra Leone - in which the patient died - is confirmed by WHO and the CDC. Historical Timeline: *Includes outbreaks resulting in more than 100 deaths or special cases. 1976 - First recognition of the EBOV disease is in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). The outbreak has 318 reported human cases, leading to 280 deaths. An SUDV outbreak also occurs in Sudan (now South Sudan), which incurs 284 cases and 151 deaths.

1989 - In Reston, Virginia, macaque monkeys imported from the Philippines are found to be infected with the Ebola virus (later named the Ebola-Reston virus). 1990 - In Texas and Virginia quarantine facilities, four humans develop Ebola antibodies after contact with monkeys imported from the Philippines. None of the humans has symptoms. 1995 - An outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) leads to 315 reported cases and at least 250 deaths. 2000-2001 - A Ugandan outbreak (SUDV) results in 425 human cases and 224 deaths. 2001-2002 - An EBOV outbreak occurs on the border of Gabon and Republic of the Congo (ROC), which results in 53 deaths on the Gabon side and at least 43 deaths on the Republic of the Congo side. December 2002-April 2003 - An EBOV outbreak in Republic of the Congo results in 143 reported cases and 128 deaths.

2007 - An EBOV outbreak occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 187 of the 264 cases reported result in death. In late 2007, an outbreak in Uganda leads to 37 deaths. 149 cases were reported. November 2008 - The Ebola-Reston virus (RESTV) is detected in five humans in the Philippines. They are workers on a pig farm and slaughterhouse and suffer no symptoms. August 26, 2014 - The Ministry of Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo notifies the World Health Organization of an Ebola outbreak in the country. It is the seventh outbreak in the country since 1976, when the virus was first identified near the Ebola river. The outbreak is not related to the ongoing outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. July 31, 2015 - The CDC announces that a newly developed Ebola vaccine is "highly effective" and could help prevent its spread in the current and future outbreaks. Photos: The Ebola epidemic An Ebola survivor participates in a study in Monrovia, Liberia, on June 17.

The country launched a five-year study to unravel the mystery of the long-term health effects that plague survivors of the viral disease. Since the epidemic started more than a year ago in a remote village in Guinea, more than 11,000 people have died, the vast majority in three West African nations, according to the latest numbers from the World Health Organization . And that number is believed to be low, since there was widespread under-reporting of cases, according to WHO. Hide Caption

Question: The Ebola disease is named after an African?
Answer: River