{"id":7259,"date":"2019-07-30T18:21:44","date_gmt":"2019-07-30T18:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/surveillance-and-investigation\/?page_id=7259"},"modified":"2026-08-07T11:52:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T15:52:38","slug":"ebola","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/surveillance-and-investigation\/ebola\/","title":{"rendered":"Ebola (Ebola Disease)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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About Ebola<\/h2>\n

Ebola <\/span>d<\/span>isease\u00a0<\/span>(Ebola)\u00a0<\/span>is a\u00a0<\/span>serious<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and often deadly illness<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>It is found\u00a0<\/span>mainly in<\/span>\u00a0sub-Sarahan Africa.\u00a0<\/span>It is<\/span>\u00a0caused by\u00a0<\/span>a group of viruses, known as\u00a0<\/span>orthoebola<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>viruses<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>E<\/span>bola\u00a0<\/span>most commonly affects people and nonhuman primates, such as monkeys,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>chimpanzees, and gorillas.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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How It Spreads<\/h2>\n

Ebola\u00a0is\u00a0spread from person\u00a0to\u00a0person through direct contact with blood or\u00a0other\u00a0body fluids\u00a0of a person who is sick with or has died from\u00a0Ebola disease.\u00a0Examples of\u00a0other\u00a0body fluids are\u00a0urine, feces, saliva, sweat, vomit, breast milk, and semen.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This can happen when a person touches\u00a0infected body fluids or\u00a0contaminated\u00a0objects, such as medical equipment, needles, and syringes. The virus enters the body through broken skin or through the eyes, nose, or mouth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Symptoms<\/h2>\n

Symptoms may appear 2\u201321 days after contact with the virus.\u00a0They occur in\u00a0two phases. Early\u00a0symptoms are\u00a0nonspecific\u00a0and\u00a0they\u00a0are known as \u201cdry\u201d\u00a0symptoms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dry Symptoms:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n