How Did the Ebola Virus Get Its Name?
How did the Ebola virus get its name? The Ebola virus, or Ebola hemorrhagic fever, got its name from a river in Africa where it was first discovered in 1976.
The Ebola virus is a type of RNA virus that causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever. It is highly contagious and is often fatal in humans and some primates, like monkeys and gorillas. It was recognized in 1976, it has appeared from time to time since then.
For a more in-depth answer to, “How did the Ebola virus get its name?” you can know that the river it was named after is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which used to be Zaire.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is infected. Ebola virus is a member of a family of RNA viruses called the Filoviridae. There are four identified subtypes of Ebola virus. Three of the four have caused disease in humans:
- Ebola-Zaire
- Ebola-Sudan
- Ebola-Ivory Coast
The fourth is Ebola-Reston, which has caused disease in nonhuman primates.
It is not known where the virus originated, but it did start with animals (zoonotic). The Ebola-Reston virus has its origin in cynomolgus monkeys that were imported to the United States and Italy from the Philippines. There have been no reported cases of the Ebola virus infecting a human in the United States, but the virus has been detected in:
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Sudan
- Gabon
- Uganda
- The Ivory Coast
How Did The Ebola Virus Get Its Name?
You now know that the Ebola virus was named after a river where it was first discovered. Researchers believe that the first human who contracts Ebola gets the virus from an animal. Then the virus can spread from human to human. Spreading usually occurs in the latter stages of the disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, has labeled the Ebola virus a Category “A” agent. This means that it could be a great threat to the public health and has the potential to spread rapidly. Other Category “A” agents are:
- Aanthrax
- Plague
- Botulism
- Small pox
- Tularemia
Outbreaks of Ebola
You know the answer to, “How did the Ebola virus get its name?” and now you will know how it spreads. It is spread through direct contact, and can occur even after death, as people who prepare the body for burial can become infected. Without proper protection, it can also spread in hospitals, especially if needles or syringes are used without being sterilized between uses.
It has been spread by airborne particles in the research lab, but no cases have been documented where this has happened in other surroundings.
The incubation period (time between infection and appearance of symptoms) for Ebola is from 2-21 days. During that time it is multiplying in the body, and the person will have no symptoms.