The Ebola virus disease (EVD) was first discovered in Sudan and the
Democratic Republic of Congo in 1972 after two separate out breaks occurred. The
name was derived from the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo where
the first outbreak had occurred. However upon further study it was discovered to be
similar to the Marburg virus discovered in 1967 after an outbreak occurred in
Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany.
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| Ebola Virus photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons By Thomas W. Geisbert |
The Ebola virus disease is believed to be carried by fruit
bats that infect people and other mammals. Among the human population and other mammals
the virus is spread through coming into contact with infected blood or other
bodily fluids of a person or mammal. The symptoms will usually occur after 2 to 3 weeks after
coming into contact with an infected person or mammal.
