Ebola-4 things you need to know

Ebola is a deadly virus whose numbers are climbing. Early testing is key. Here are the 4 things you need to know.

What are the 4 things you need to know about Ebola?

The 4 things you need to know are: (1) Ebola is a rare but deadly disease caused by a virus, (2) signs are fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhea (can be bloody) and sometimes “pink,” eye, (3) you cannot get Ebola by sitting next to someone with Ebola ONLY by direct contact, and (4) the U.S. remains at very low risk for Ebola with no reported cases to date.

Early testing means early treatment and preventing others from getting sick. The efforts by biotech companies to increase available tests, testing equipment, and on-site or point of site testing is up by a whopping 635 %. Early testing, and recognition is key in saving lives and stopping the spread.

What is Ebola, and what does it do?

Fact #1: Ebola is a rare but deadly disease known as a viral hemorrhagic or “bleeding,” fever (VHF). It leads to high fevers and bleeding due to its impact on the body’s ability to clot. Ebola virus is isolated to Africa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. As of June 25, 2026, no cases have been reported in the U.S. There was one American citizen who tested positive for Ebola after humanitarian work in the region and has since recovered. Another health care worker has recently been identified and treated in France.

Ebola virus has been traced to the African fruit bats. They are called “fruit,” bats because they feed on fruit and pollen. The bats carry the virus but do not get sick. Bats get people sick either by direct contact or fruit contaminated with saliva, urine or feces. Ebola has a “spillover,” effect meaning once a person is sick with the virus it can spread or spill over to other people.

The reason that bats do not get sick says the experts is bat’s cells change the virus making it less harmful allowing the virus and bat to “co-exist,” without the bat getting sick. This is not the same for all animals. Gorrillas and chimps are very susceptible to Ebola and die at high rates unlike bats.

The most recent Ebola outbreak in Africa started with a single health care worker getting sick in April 2026. The worker had fever, bleeding, vomiting and severe weakness before dying. The initial test was negative for Ebola but came back 3 weeks later positive for a rare strain called Bundibugyo or BVD. BVD has been responsible for 2 other outbreaks, but this is the largest to date.

BVD has no specific treatment and no vaccine. The good news is if caught early and symptoms treated aggressively survival is better than other types of Ebola. On May 17, 2026, Ebola was declared an international public emergency as it is quickly spreading over the region.

What are the signs and symptoms of Ebola?

Fact #2: The main signs of Ebola are a sudden onset of fever (100. 4 F or more), headache, vomiting, and watery diarrhea. The vomit or stools may show signs of bleeding. Some people get stomach pains, weakness, and “red,” and painful eyes where the virus invades the eye directly. It may be an early or late sign of the disease.

The time from infection to symptoms can range between 2 to 21 days with the average person getting sick in 8 to10 days. This means you can be infected for up to 21 days before showing any signs of illness.

If you travel to one of the regions in Africa on high alert for Ebola, come in contact with someone with Ebola, or have symptoms of Ebola important to seek medical attention immediately as the outcome is better the sooner treatment starts including intravenous (IV) fluids, antibiotics for possible bacterial infection, and control of nausea, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhea.

There are different strains of Ebola with Zaire Ebola being the deadliest with a death rate of up to 90 %. The current strain (Bundibugyo) says the CDC is less deadly with a death rate of 30 %. As of, June 25, 2026, the CDC reports 1,223 cases with 323 deaths to date.

How do you get Ebola?

Fact #3: You can NOT get Ebola from breathing it in like the flu or COVID. It is not transmitted by sitting next to someone who is sick. It is spread by contact with body fluid of an animal or person that is infected or by touching an object that has virus on it. The route of entry is usually by skin or mucus membranes including the eyes, nose and mouth.

It can remain on bedding (even after the infected person leaves) and is found in urine, sweat, blood, feces, and semen. It can also be spread by eating infected animals including “bushmeat,” like antelopes or other forest animals found in the African regions of high infectivity. Of interest, people cannot spread disease to other people before symptoms appear, but virus may remain in certain body fluids after recovery and has been reported to spread from people who have died.

How to protect yourself from getting Ebola?

Fact #4: There is a very low risk of getting Ebola in the U.S. The CDC and U.S. State Department says avoid non-essential travel to these regions and if you do important to monitor for symptoms for 21 days after leaving.

There is not a vaccination at this time for the BVD but there is a vaccine called ERVEBO to protect against the more virulent Zaire Ebolavirus strain. It’s a safe and highly effective single-dose vaccine. It is a weakened, live or modified virus that boosts the immune system to fight Ebola without getting the disease itself. There is some early news that the ERVEBO vaccine may protects us from the current strain, but further testing needs to be done.

Any last advice or facts on Ebola?

Ebola is group of viruses that was first reported in 1976 during an outbreak in Africa in the South Sudan and in DRC formally Zaire called Zaire Ebola. It is the deadliest and per the CDC without treatment up to 90 % of cases can be fatal compared to the current virus or BVD at 30 %.

The best way to stop the spread of the virus is early testing, early treatment, and community education and awareness. The current outbreak remains a serious public health event with WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC actively monitoring and supporting local communities and efforts.

The 4 things you need to know are simple: (1) Ebola is a rare but deadly disease caused by a virus, (2) signs are fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhea (can be bloody) and sometimes “pink,” eye, (3) you cannot get Ebola by sitting next to someone with Ebola only by direct contact, and (4) U.S. remains at very low risk for Ebola and no cases have been reported to date.

If you have any questions, ask DoctorH we are here to help.