Ebola Virus Risk: A Global Look at the Effects

Your risk for ebola is extremely low, even if you travel to sub-Saharan Africa

Table of Contents
View All
Table of Contents

Ebola is a viral illness that causes internal bleeding and kills about half of people who contract it. Ebola can be caused by four different types of viruses, and is most common in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, if you’re traveling to an area that has had outbreaks in the past, it’s important to know about ebola symptoms and how ebola spreads. 

Continue reading to learn more about ebola, including its effects, ways to prevent it, and how it spreads.

Blood sample under microscope

Rapeepong Puttakumwong / Getty Images

Where Do Ebola Virus Outbreaks Occur?

Ebola most often happens in sub-Saharan Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, has had the most outbreaks. An outbreak occurred in 2022 in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Here’s an overview of Ebola outbreaks over the past five years, including the number of infections and the death rate for each outbreak.

  • Uganda, 2022: 164 infections, 34% fatality rate
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2022: Six infections, 100% fatality rate
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2021: 23 cases, 65% fatality rate
  • Guinea, 2021: 23 confirmed cases, 52% fatality rate
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2020: 130 cases, 42% fatality rate
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018: More than 3,500 cases, 66% fatality rate.

Symptoms: What Does Ebola Do to People?

Ebola is so deadly because it causes internal bleeding (hemorrhaging). That’s why Ebola is known as a hemorrhagic fever. Symptoms of Ebola prior to hemorrhage include:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches or joint pain
  • Sore throat
  • Diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues
  • Loss of appetite
  • Unexplained bleeding or bruising
  • Rash
  • Red eyes
  • Hiccups

These symptoms can be caused by many other viral illnesses that are much less serious than Ebola, like the flu. So, it’s important to consider the likelihood you were exposed to Ebola, such as by traveling to countries with Ebola outbreaks. 

How Does Ebola Spread?

Ebola can spread from animals to people, and from person to person. Symptoms most often appear eight to 10 days after a person is exposed, although they sometimes won’t appear for up to 21 days.

Ebola is most often spread when you come into contact with infected bodily fluids, including:

  • Blood
  • Urine
  • Saliva
  • Sweat
  • Feces
  • Vomit
  • Breast milk
  • Amniotic fluid
  • Semen

You can also contract the disease from objects that have come into contact with infected bodily fluids. That might include medical instruments, sheets, or clothes from a person with Ebola. 

You can also catch the virus from bats and primates, including monkeys and apes. If you eat meat from an Ebola-infected animal, you could contract the disease.

Sexual Transmission of Ebola

Ebola can continue to spread through semen even after a person has recovered from the disease. Anyone who has contact with someone's semen who has had ebola is at risk for the disease. Scientists don’t think ebola can spread through vaginal fluids from a person who has recovered from the disease.

Limiting Ebola Risk While Traveling Abroad

Before you travel, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for information on recent outbreaks of ebola. Keep in mind that it’s rare for tourists to be exposed to Ebola. However, some people, like medical professionals, are at higher risk. 

Still, the CDC recommends these precautions for Americans traveling to an area that has had an Ebola outbreak:

  • Avoid close contact with sick people.
  • Don’t exchange bodily fluids with anyone, including through kissing.
  • Avoiding touching live or dead animals.
  • Don’t eat or handle meat from wild animals.
  • Wear protective equipment when working with wild animals.
  • Wash your hands frequently. When that’s not an option, use hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unclean hands.
  • Don’t touch dead bodies, or objects that have been near dead bodies.

If you're traveling in sub-Saharan Africa and experience any signs of Ebola illness, seek medical help immediately, even if your symptoms seem mild at first. 

Ebola Virus Vaccine: A Cure?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an Ebola vaccine in 2019. The vaccine protects people against one virus that causes Ebola. This virus has caused the largest Ebola outbreaks, but it’s not the cause of the 2022 outbreak in Uganda. That means the Ebola vaccine offers significant protection, but it’s not a cure. 

The CDC recommends that the following American adults get the Ebola vaccine:

  • Anyone working with the vaccine in a laboratory
  • Healthcare workers and first responders who work in an Ebola treatment center
  • Responding or planning to respond to an outbreak caused by Ebola virus

The CDC does not recommend routine vaccination for people traveling to Africa or elsewhere. If it’s possible that you were exposed to Ebola and you are experiencing symptoms, call your healthcare provider immediately. They’ll tell you what to do next and likely test you for ebola using blood tests or oral swabs.

Ebola is difficult to treat, but two treatments are approved for certain virus strains. Healthcare providers can also offer supportive care like oxygen, increased intravenous (IV) fluids, and dialysis (treatment to remove extra fluid and waste from blood when your kidneys fail to). 

Summary

Ebola is an extremely rare virus in the United States. The only outbreaks have been in sub-Saharan Africa. Even there, tourists are at little risk. Still, you can reduce your risk for Ebola by avoiding contact with sick people, not exchanging bodily fluids, and not touching or eating wild animals. There is a vaccine for certain types of Ebola, but it’s not recommended for most travelers since the risk of the illness is so low. 

5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Ebola.

  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ebola disease.

  3. MedlinePlus. Ebola.

  4. World Health Organization. Statement on travel and transport in relation to ebola outbreak.

  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ebola and marburg.

By Kelly Burch
Kelly Burch is has written about health topics for more than a decade. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and more.