Ebola
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The Briefing · Where the virus came from

Origins

By Ebola/Watch Editorial Desk
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Ebola virus disease was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in DRC. The Bundibugyo strain (BDBV), driving the current outbreak, was only discovered in 2007 in western Uganda.

Ebola virus disease (EVD) was first identified in 1976 during simultaneous outbreaks in Nzara (now South Sudan) and Yambuku, near the Ebola River in what is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The river gave the virus its name.

Ebola belongs to the family Filoviridae, alongside Marburg. Six species are recognised: Zaire, Sudan, Tai Forest, Bundibugyo, Reston, and Bombali ebolaviruses. Zaire ebolavirus is historically the most lethal, with case-fatality rates of 25 to 90 percent.

Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) is the youngest of the human-pathogenic species. It was first isolated during a 2007 outbreak in Bundibugyo District, western Uganda, where it killed roughly a quarter of those infected. A second outbreak struck DRC in 2012, and BDBV is the strain at the centre of the current outbreak.

Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the likely natural reservoir for all ebolaviruses, including Bundibugyo, with spillover into humans through contact with bats, non-human primates, and bushmeat.

Sources & Further Reading

  1. WHO — Ebola virus disease fact sheet
  2. Towner JS et al. (2008) Newly discovered Ebola virus associated with hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Uganda. PLoS Pathog 4(11):e1000212
  3. Kuhn JH et al. (2019) ICTV virus taxonomy profile: Filoviridae. J Gen Virol 100(6):911-912
  4. Leroy EM et al. (2005) Fruit bats as reservoirs of Ebola virus. Nature 438:575-576
  5. CDC — Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease): History of Outbreaks
  6. MacNeil A et al. (2011) Proportion of deaths and clinical features in Bundibugyo Ebola virus infection, Uganda. Emerg Infect Dis 17(1):67-68

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did Ebola come from?
Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 during simultaneous outbreaks in Nzara (now South Sudan) and Yambuku in what is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The virus takes its name from the Ebola River near Yambuku. Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the likely natural reservoir, with spillover into humans via contact with bats, non-human primates, or bushmeat.
How did Ebola start?
The first known human cases appeared in 1976 in two near-simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and DRC. Investigators traced the DRC outbreak to a mission hospital where reused needles amplified transmission. Each subsequent outbreak has been traced to a spillover event from an infected animal, followed by human-to-human transmission.
How was the Ebola virus discovered?
Belgian and Congolese scientists, working with the CDC and WHO, isolated the virus in 1976 from blood samples sent from the Yambuku outbreak. Electron microscopy revealed a long filamentous virus distinct from Marburg. The team named it after the nearby Ebola River to avoid stigmatising the village of Yambuku.
What is Bundibugyo ebolavirus?
Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) is one of six recognised ebolavirus species and the strain driving the current outbreak. It was first isolated during a 2007 outbreak in Bundibugyo District, western Uganda, where it killed roughly a quarter of those infected.
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How Ebola spreads between people
Transmission
Vaccines, PPE, and outbreak control
Prevention
Monoclonal antibodies and supportive care
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