Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).
Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genusEbolavirus. There are five identified Ebolavirus species, four of which have caused disease in humans: Zaire ebolavirus; Sudan ebolavirus; Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus; and Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The fifth, Reston ebolavirus, has caused disease in nonhuman primates but not in humans.
Ebola is found in several African countries. The first Ebola species was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa.
The natural reservoir host of Ebola remains unknown. However, on the basis of available evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe that the virus is animal-borne with bats being the most likely reservoir. Four of the five subtypes occur in an animal host native to Africa.
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to learn more about Ebola:
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8/24/2016
Airmen flew an aeromedical evacuation of a simulated Ebola patient from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, during Exercise Mobility Solace
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8/28/2015
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7/31/2015
Exercise Patriot 15, an interagency field training exercise used to practice domestic operations within the U.S., occurred July 23 at Offutt Air Force Base. The annual exercise included aeromedical evacuation of patients with highly infectious illnesses from Volk Field, Wisconsin, to Offutt AFB; however, this was not the first time a scenario like this has occurred.
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Army and Navy public health nurses have provided critical services nationally and internationally, from their work in important public health initiatives like seatbelt laws to recent work to help stem the Ebola outbreak in Africa and the United States.
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5/27/2015
Last week, galvanized by the Ebola epidemic, 194 Member States of the World Health Assembly quietly, but unanimously, agreed to provide support for West African, Central African and other at-risk states to achieve the capacity they need to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to infectious disease threats by 2019.
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2/18/2015
U.S. troops deployed to Africa took on a bigger enemy than Ebola.
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The 1st Area Medical Laboratory, based out of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, deployed as Task Force Scientist in support of OUA, is closing all four of their Ebola testing laboratories in Liberia.
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The American and partner-nation fight in the last few months against Ebola has cut cases of the disease by 80 percent
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Behavioral health advocates promote the strength of the battle buddy system and the mantra that Soldiers take care of each other
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