Diseases

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

What is it?

Ebola virus disease causes problems with how your blood clots and is known as a hemorrhagic fever virus, because the clotting problems lead to internal bleeding. The virus also causes inflammation and tissue damage accompanied by fever in humans and animals. Death occurs in 50 to 90% of people who get Ebola. There is currently a large Ebola outbreak in Western Africa.

Check the current areas affected by Ebola

The risk for an Ebola case in Canada is low.

How is it spread?

Testing & Treatment

Prevention

The Ebola virus does not spread easily from person to person. You can only get Ebola through:

Direct contact with body fluids such as urine (pee), saliva, feces (poop), vomit or blood from a person infected with Ebola
Direct contact with objects that have been in contact with the Ebola virus
Contact with animals infected with Ebola

You can only get Ebola from someone else after an infected person develops symptoms. The virus cannot be transmitted through the air.

One of the risk factors for getting Ebola is travelling to Ebola affected areas in West Africa.

Signs & Symptoms

Symptoms of Ebola begin 2 to 21 days after exposure to the virus and include:

Fever; this is the most common symptom of Ebola
Headache
Muscle and joint pain
Myalgia
Diarrhea

Abdominal pain
Vomiting
Sore throat
Cough
Unexplained bleeding from any body sites occur in 50% of people with Ebola.

Blood tests confirm if you have Ebola.

There are no specific treatments or approved vaccines for Ebola; research is ongoing.

The Public Health Agency of Canada issued a travel advisory for Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to countries in West Africa affected by the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak.

Date modified

July 27, 2022