The Ebola virus is very contagious and can be transmitted by direct contact with infected person, contaminated blood

and bodily fluid. Another rather strange way of transmission is by handling of ill or dead chimpanzees. There is also evidence that Ebola can be transmitted by breathing the air of the infected person, but only in nonhuman primates.

Ebola symptoms usually appear within 4-6 days of infection. The incubation period can be as short as 2 days or as long as 21 days. The most common symptoms are sore throat, fever, cough, weakness, headaches, dehydration, vomiting and stomach pain. Some patients also get red eyes, rashes, hiccup and internal and external bleeding. Death occurs after a week of the symptoms. Case-fatality ratio for Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever varies from 50% to 90%.Patients infected by Ebola usually die from extreme loss of blood.

For a long time there was no known treatment or vaccine that could cure Ebola, and all infected patients should be hospitalized under intensive care immediately. There are some treatments for the symptoms like a treatment for a patient in shock includes medication and bleeding problems can be cured by fresh blood. New vaccines are currently in testing. Recently a protein found in algae has been found to partially bind and infect cells. The University of Texas currently received a 2.6 million dollar grant to develop a vaccine for the Ebola virus.

Ebola is a very difficult virus to control and requires infection control measures in healthcare settings such as protective equipment, isolation of patients and disposal infected hospital material. It is also crucial to monitor people who have been in close contact with the infected person for controlling and limiting the virus.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever lasts about 14-21 days. Infection starts with flu-like symptoms. Then as the infection gets worse, patients get worse symptoms such as severe bleeding and rash. Liver damage combined with viremia leads to coagulopathy. Ebola virus eventually infects microvascular cells. Terminal stages of infection usually include bleeding and hypotensive shock .

In Africa, fruit bats are possible natural hosts of the Ebola virus. The main types of fruit bats are Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti and Myonycteris torquata. Fruit bats are found generally anywhere around the world, but they mostly stay in hot places, like Africa.

The Ebola virus was first identified in Sudan in 1976 after epidemics in Yambuko and Nzara. Most cases were in Africa. A large epidemic occurred in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of Congo in 1995 with 250 dead of infection. It was first documented in 1994. In five months the virus had infected 425 cases and killed 224 of them. The most recent case was in western Uganda in 2008

No one knows the exact origin, natural habitat or location of Ebola, but scientists have located areas where the first known outbreak was, in northern Africa. The Ebola virus is often found in places with low hygiene. It also likes hot and humid places because when there is lots of moisture in the air its easier to spread. The first known case or the index case was a 44 year old school teacher named Mabalo Lokela who died 8 of September in 1976, 14 days after starting symptoms.

"Ebola Virus Disease." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Aug. 2013. Web. 09 Oct. 2013 Ebola." Ebola. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. "Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. "About Fruit Bats." ALL ABOUT BATS Website: Fruit Bat Article. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.