Ebola virus what is it

Outbreak Preparedness. For Clinicians. For Laboratory Personnel. For Public Health Planners. Communication Resources. Learn More. The virus first spreads to people through direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of animals. Ebola virus then spreads to other people through direct contact with body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from EVD.

This can occur when a person touches these infected body fluids or objects that are contaminated with them. The virus then gets into the body through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth. People can get the virus through sexual contact with someone who is sick with or has recovered from EVD. The virus can persist in certain body fluids, like semen, after recovery from the illness. Ebola survivors may experience side effects after their recovery.

These may include tiredness, muscle aches, eye and vision problems and stomach pain. People with Ebola must be treated in a hospital. There, they can be isolated so the disease cannot spread. Health care providers will treat the symptoms of the disease. Survival depends on how a person's immune system responds to the virus. A person also may be more likely to survive if they receive good medical care.

People who survive Ebola are immune from the virus for 10 years or more. They can no longer spread Ebola. It is not known whether they can be infected with a different species of Ebola.

However, men who survive can carry the Ebola virus in their sperm for as long as 3 to 9 months. They should abstain from sex or use condoms for 12 months or until their semen has twice tested negative. A vaccine Ervebo is available to prevent Ebola virus disease in people who live in the most at-risk countries. If you plan to travel to one of the countries where Ebola is present, the CDC recommends taking the following steps to prevent illness:.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Ebola Ebola Virus Disease. Updated November 5, Accessed November 15, Geisbert TW. Marburg and Ebola virus hemorrhagic fevers. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Safety and Health Topics Ebola. Overview Quick Facts. At this time, there is not an Ebola outbreak in the U. Isolated outbreaks are common, particularly in Africa. Currently, the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country in Central Africa, is experiencing an outbreak that has resulted in hemorrhagic fever-related deaths.

There have been no known cases of EVD acquired in the U. Some specially equipped U. Ebola typically spreads by contact with body fluids from a living or deceased person or animal with EVD, though some medical, laboratory, and other tasks may expose workers to aerosols containing Ebola virus. Until a person develops symptoms of EVD, he or she is not considered contagious. Whenever workers have occupational exposure to the Ebola virus, employers must take steps to protect them.