The first known outbreak of the Ebola virus occurred in 1976 in Sudan and Zaire (present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo), with outbreaks continuing since then. Identify the effects of the various Ebola outbreaks in West Africa.

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Monica Short

12 July, 20:31

The first known outbreak of the Ebola virus occurred in 1976 in Sudan and Zaire (present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo), with outbreaks continuing since then. Identify the effects of the various Ebola outbreaks in West Africa.

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Emily Davis · Answer 1

Ebola is a member of filovirus family. It occurs in humans and primates. There are 6 types of the virus, only 4 cause human illness.

The first known outbreaks of Ebola are the simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and former Zaire (today's Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1976.

Between 1979 and 1994, no outbreaks were recorded. However, since that last year there are crises with more frequency.

The largest outbreak known until today happened in West Africa (March 2014 to June 2016). The countries affected were: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. More than 28,000 victims were reported.

Since August 2018, there has been an epidemic of Ebola in Congo. Over 2,600 people have been reported ill.