Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease that appears sporadically in parts of Africa. Infection with the Ebola virus causes the severe illness, which has a mortality rate of between 50 and 90 percent. There are four subtypes of Ebola virus: Ivory Coast, Sudan, Zaire and Reston Ebola. All of these viruses except the last are known to cause severe illness in people.

Symptoms typically come on abruptly and begin with fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sort throat, and weakness. These are followed by a second wave of symptoms, which may include potentially serious symptoms such as bleeding from body orifices, seizures and coma.

Diagnosing Ebola hemorrhagic fever can be difficult, because early symptoms of this illness resemble those of other more common illnesses (e.g. malaria). However, various types of blood tests can reveal the presence of Ebola.

At present, no standard treatment for Ebola exists. Instead, patients receive supportive therapy such as fluid and electrolyte replacement, and efforts to help patients maintain a healthy blood pressure and get enough oxygen.

The best way to prevent Ebola hemorrhagic fever is to avoid the virus by not traveling to the African countries where it is known to be endemic. Healthcare workers and others who spend time around infected patients can greatly reduce the risk of contracting Ebola by wearing gowns, gloves and masks around these patients.