Ebola | Community Health

Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD), is a severe and often deadly viral illness caused by four of the six known ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start within two to three weeks after infection and include fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and bleeding. With a mortality rate ranging from 25% to 90%, Ebola is a significant public health concern, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where outbreaks have occurred since 1976. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been working to combat the disease through vaccination, treatment, and prevention efforts. According to the WHO, the largest outbreak occurred in 2014 in Western Africa, resulting in over 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths. As of 2022, the CDC reports that there have been over 30,000 cases of Ebola in Africa, with a mortality rate of approximately 50%. The disease has also been the subject of extensive research, with scientists such as [[dr-anthony-fauci|Dr. Anthony Fauci]] and organizations like the [[national-institutes-of-health|National Institutes of Health]] (NIH) working to develop effective treatments and vaccines.