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Ebola Disease 

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Information for Local Health Departments

Last updated February 11, 2025

Important Update

On January 29, 2025, the Ministry of Health of Uganda officially declared an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Sudan virus (species Orthoebolavirus sudanense) in Uganda. Currently, no cases related to this outbreak have been reported in the United States, or outside of Uganda.

At this time, CDC has not issued any interim recommendations to health departments for post-arrival risk assessment and management of travelers, including U.S.-based healthcare workers, arriving from Uganda. CDC recommends that travelers monitor themselves for symptoms of Ebola disease while in the outbreak area and for 21 days after leaving. Healthcare providers should be alert and obtain a detailed travel history from patients with suspected Ebola disease, especially those that have been in affected areas of Uganda.


ā€‹Ebola disease is a rare but severe viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in humans and non-human primates. Ebola is caused by infection with any one of four orthoebolaviruses (formally ebolavirus) known to cause disease in humans: Ebola virus, Sudan virus, TaĆÆā€‹ Forest virus, and Bundibugyo virus. Ebola viruses have the capacity to spread person-to-person and cause outbreaks with high mortality rates (25-90%).

ā€‹To date, no cases of Ebola disease have been reported in California. Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now called the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Since then, the virus has periodically emerged from its natural reservoir (which has not been confirmed but may be African fruit bats) and spread among people primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. For an overview of Ebola outbreaks, please see CDC Ebola Outbreak History. ā€‹

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of Ebola appear 2-21 days after contact with orthoebolaviruses. Initial "dry" symptoms are non-specific and can be confused with more common infectious diseases, including malaria and typhoid fever. After 4-5 days of illness, patients progress to ā€œwet" symptoms.


ā€‹"Dry" Symptoms

"Wet" Symptoms
  • ā€‹Fever
  • ā€‹Loss of appetiteā€‹
  • ā€‹Aches and pains in the muscles and joints
  • ā€‹Unexplained bleeding
  • ā€‹Severe headache
  • ā€‹Nausea
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Abdominal pain
  • ā€‹Sore throat
  • Diarrhea

  • Vomiting

Transmission

People can get Ebola disease through contact with the body fluids of an infected sick or dead person. Rarely, some people can get the disease from contact with an infected animal, like a bat, non-human primate, or forest antelope.

Transmission through body fluids includes contact with:

  • Blood and body fluids (urine, feces, saliva, sweat, vomit, breast milk, amniotic fluid, semen, and vaginal fluid) from a person who is sick with Ebola disease

  • Semen from someone who has recovered from Ebola disease, until testing shows that the virus is no longer in the semen

  • Clothes, bedding, needles, medical equipment, and other items that may have touched an infected person's blood or body fluids

  • The body of someone who is suspected or confirmed to have had Ebola (such as during a funeral or burial practices)

People with Ebola disease can only spread Ebola to other people while they are experiencing symptoms; transmission can also occur from handling the body of a patient who has died.

A vaccine (ERVEBOĀ®) for the prevention of Ebola disease caused by Ebola virus (species Orthoebolavirus zairense only) has been approved by the FDA for use in persons 12 months of age or older.

Testing and Treatment

Orthoebolavirus testing is performed only with authorization from CDC and CDPH; testing includes use of PCR and antibody assays. A patient being tested for Ebola should be separated from other people in a healthcare facility until results are confirmed. Ebola testing should not delay testing for other, more likely medical conditions.

Two FDA-approved treatments are currently available to treat Ebola disease (species Orthoebolavirus zairense only): Inmazebā„¢ and Ebangaā„¢.

Early intensive supportive care and fluid replacement are also critical to improve patient outcomes.

Contact CDPH

If the LHD is notified of a suspected Ebola disease case, contact CDPH immediately:

The prevention and control of Ebola disease in California requires a coordinated effort between healthcare providers and local health departments (LHDs), healthcare facilities, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

LHDs should review and update their plans for responding to and managing a patient with Ebola disease or other highly infectious diseases. As these plans are developed, LHDs should coordinate with local healthcare providers and facilities, the Local Emergency Medical Services Agency (LEMSA), and local EMS transport agencies, among others.

Reporting to CDPH

Ebola disease is considered a medical and public health emergency and must be immediately reported to CDPH.

If a returned traveler or any person with high-risk exposure(s) develops symptoms suggestive of Ebola disease, CDPH should be notified immediately.

High-risk exposuresā€‹ to Ebola include:

  • Percutaneous (i.e., piercing the skin), mucous membrane (e.g., eye, nose, or mouth), or skin contact with blood or body fluids of an ill or dead person with known or suspected Ebola disease.

  • Direct physical contact with (e.g. shaking hands or touching) a person who has/had known or suspected Ebola disease, without the use of recommended personal protective equipment (PPE).

  • Providing health care or home care to a patient with known or suspected Ebola disease without use of recommended PPE.

  • Experiencing a breach in infection control precautions that results in the potential for percutaneous, mucous membrane, or skin contact with the blood or body fluids of a patient or a dead body with Ebola disease.

  • Living in the same household as a person with symptomatic known or suspected Ebola disease.

  • Contact with semen from a man who has recently recovered from Ebola disease (e.g., through oral, vaginal, or anal sex).


Patients with high-risk exposure(s) will be managed in coordination with CDPH and CDC. During Ebola outbreaks, CDC may recommend LHDs perform post-arrival traveler monitoring of persons who have been in an Ebola-affected country in the last 21 days. LHDs can use the "Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (Ebola, Marburg) Traveler Monitoring" condition in CalREDIE for monitoring of individuals who have returned from Ebola-affected areas. This form is also available in the CalREDIE Document Repository (form CDPH IDB 001). The CalREDIE Travel Monitoring condition includes three User Defined Forms:

  1. Traveler History

  2. Assessment

  3. Symptom Diary that can be used for 21-day monitoring

The "Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (Ebola, Marburg, etc.)" condition in CalREDIE can be used for reporting individuals with suspected Ebola disease.ā€‹

Individuals may be classified as a suspected Ebola disease case if they have been to an area with an active Ebola outbreak in the past 21 days, AND have compatible symptoms, AND have reported epidemiologically compatible risk factors within the 21 days before symptom onset.

Alerts and Updates

CDC HAN ā€“ Ebola Outbreak Caused by Sudan virus in Uganda ā€“ February 6, 2025


ā€‹Resourcesā€‹

Public Health Response & Reporting
Archived Health Alerts
Additional Information 
Managing Ebola Disease
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