How Ebola spreads

Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral illness.

Symptoms of Ebola infection include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and internal and external bleeding.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, on average, Ebola kills five in every 10 infected individuals.

People get infected with Ebola by touching:

• Infected animals when preparing, cooking or eating them
• Body fluids of an infected person such as saliva, urine, faeces or semen
• Things that have the body fluids of an infected person like clothes or sheets.

Ebola enters the body through cuts in the skin or when touching one’s eyes, nose or mouth.

Early symptoms include fever, fatigue and headache.

Some types of Ebola can be prevented with vaccines and treated with medicines.