Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola HF) is one of numerous Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. It is a severe, often fatal, disease in humans and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). Researchers believe that Ebola is zoonotic, with bats as the most likely reservoir of the disease. Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo near the Ebola River. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically. The recent outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria has resulted in over 1,700 infections and almost 1,000 deaths.
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Picture of the Ebola Virus.
(From BBC.CO.UK)
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