Ebola

/iˈboʊlə/

/ɪˈbʌʊlə/

Ebola is a disease that affects the way blood clots in the body. Fruit bats are probably the original source of Ebola in humans.

The virus that causes Ebola doesn't spread through the air but is mainly transmitted through contact with an infected person's blood. Ebola is a devastating and deadly disease, and periodic outbreaks in several African countries have sickened thousands of people since the 1970s. The virus gets its name from the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it was originally found in humans.

Definitions of Ebola

1. noun

   a severe and often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys and chimpanzees) caused by the Ebola virus; characterized by high fever and severe internal bleeding; can be spread from person to person; is largely limited to Africa
   synonyms: Ebola fever, Ebola hemorrhagic fever

   type of:

   VHF, haemorrhagic fever, hemorrhagic fever, viral haemorrhagic fever, viral hemorrhagic fever

   a group of illnesses caused by a viral infection (usually restricted to a specific geographic area); fever and gastrointestinal symptoms are followed by capillary hemorrhage