Known Cases and Outbreaks of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, in Chronological Order
August 25, 2006

Year(s)

Country

Ebola subtype

Reported no. of human cases

Reported no. (%) of deaths among cases

Situation

1976

Zaire [Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)]

Ebola-Zaire

318

280 (88)

Occurred in Yambuku and surrounding area. Disease was spread by close personal contact and by use of contaminated needles and syringes in hospitals/clinics. This outbreak was the first recognition of the disease [1].

1976

Sudan

Ebola-Sudan

284

151 (53)

Occurred in Nzara, Maridi and the surrounding area. Disease was spread mainly through close personal contact within hospitals. Many medical care personnel were infected [2].

1976

England

Ebola-Sudan

1

0 (0)

Laboratory infection by accidental stick of contaminated needle [3].

1977

Zaire

Ebola-Zaire

1

1 (100)

Noted retrospectively in the village of Tandala [4].

1979

Sudan

Ebola-Sudan

34

22 (65)

Occurred in Nzara. Recurrent outbreak at the same site as the 1976 Sudan epidemic [5].

1989

USA

Ebola-Reston

0

0 (0)

Ebola-Reston virus was introduced into quarantine facilities in Virginia, Texas, and Pennsylvania by monkeys imported from the Philippines. Four humans developed antibodies to Ebola-Reston virus but did not become ill [6].

1990

USA

Ebola-Reston

0

0 (0)

Ebola-Reston virus was introduced once again into quarantine facilities in Virginia, and Texas by monkeys imported from the Philippines. Four humans developed antibodies but did not get sick [7].

1989-1990

Philippines

Ebola-Reston

0

0 (0)

High mortality among cynomolgus macaques in a primate facility responsible for exporting animals in the USA [8]. Three workers in the animal facility with high Ebola antibody levels [9].

1992

Italy

Ebola-Reston

0

0 (0)

Ebola-Reston virus was introduced into quarantine facilities in Sienna by monkeys imported from the same export facility in the Philippines that was involved in the episodes in the United States. No humans were infected [10].

1994

Gabon

Ebola-Zaire

52

31 (60)

Occurred in Mékouka and other gold-mining camps deep in the rain forest. Initially thought to be yellow fever; identified as Ebola hemorrhagic fever in 1995 [11].

1994

Ivory Coast

Ebola-Ivory Coast

1

0 (0)

Scientist became ill after conducting an autopsy on a wild chimpanzee in the Tai Forest. The patient was treated in Switzerland [12].

1995

Democratic
Republic of
the Congo (formerly Zaire)

Ebola-Zaire

315

250 (81)

Occurred in Kikwit and surrounding area. Traced to index case-patient who worked in forest adjoining the city. Epidemic spread through families and hospitals [13].

1996 (Jan - April)

Gabon

Ebola-Zaire

37

21 (57)

Occurred in Mayibout area. A chimpanzee found dead in the forest was eaten by people hunting for food. Nineteen people who were involved in the butchery of the animal became ill; other cases occurred in family members [11].

1996 - 1997 (July - Jan)

Gabon

Ebola-Zaire

60

45 (74)

Occurred in Booué area with transport of patients to Libreville. Index case-patient was a hunter who lived in a forest camp. Disease was spread by close contact with infected persons. A dead chimpanzee found in the forest at the time was determined to be infected [11].

1996

South Africa

Ebola-Zaire

2

1 (50)

A medical professional traveled from Gabon to Johannesburg, South Africa, after having treated Ebola virus-infected patients and thus having been exposed to the virus. He was hospitalized, and a nurse who took care of him became infected and died [14].

1996

USA

Ebola-Reston

0

0 (0)

Ebola-Reston virus was introduced into a quarantine facility in Texas by monkeys imported from the Philippines. No human infections were identified [15].

1996

Philippines

Ebola-Reston

0

0 (0)

Ebola-Reston virus was identified in a monkey export facility in the Philippines. No human infections were identified [16].

2000 - 2001

Uganda

Ebola-Sudan

425

224 (53)

Occurred in Gulu, Masindi, and Mbarara districts of Uganda. The three most important risks associated with Ebola virus infection were attending funerals of Ebola hemorrhagic fever case-patients, having contact with case-patients in one's family, and providing medical care to Ebola case-patients without using adequate personal protective measures [17].

2001 - 2002 (Oct 01 - March 02)

Gabon

Ebola-Zaire

65

53 (82)

Outbreak occurred over the border of Gabon and the Republic of the Congo [18].

2001 - 2002 (Oct 01 - March 02)

Republic of Congo

Ebola-Zaire

57

43 (75)

Outbreak occurred over the border of Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. This was the first time that Ebola hemorrhagic fever was reported in the Republic of Congo [18].

2002 - 2003 (Dec 02 - April 03)

Republic of Congo

Ebola-Zaire

143

128 (89)

Outbreak occured in the districts of Mbomo and Kéllé in Cuvette Ouest Département [19].

2003 (Nov - Dec)

Republic of Congo

Ebola-Zaire

35

29 (83)

Outbreak occured in Mbomo and Mbandza villages located in Mbomo district, Cuvette Ouest Département [20].

2004

Sudan

Ebola-Sudan

17

7 (41)

Outbreak occured in Yambio county of southern Sudan. This outbreak was concurrent with an outbreak of measles in the same area, and several suspected EHF cases were later reclassified as measles cases [21].