Guidance

Ebola: overview, history, origins and transmission

The history of Ebola virus disease, animal reservoirs, routes of transmission and an overview of diagnosis and management.

• From: UK Health Security Agency
• Published: 15 April 2014
• Last updated: 18 May 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 18 May 2026

     Updated in light of WHO declaring the ebola outbreak a public health emergency.

  2. 15 May 2026

     Notice of suspected outbreak in Ituri province added.

  3. 4 September 2025

     Added a link to the public health guidance in UK settings for EBOD contact tracing.

  4. 5 February 2025

     Changed the focus from EVD to EBOD and orthoebolaviruses in general. Updated the map in Figure 1.

  5. 12 January 2023

     Update to reflect end of outbreak in Uganda.

  6. 7 November 2022

     Updated with latest available information.

  7. 18 March 2021

     Removed text on the most recent EVD outbreak.

  8. 11 August 2020

     Updated table of Ebola outbreaks.

  9. 29 July 2019

     Updated with current epidemiology.

  10. 15 December 2017

      Updated table of outbreaks.

  11. 19 August 2016

      Updated to reflect the current situation.

  12. 17 July 2015

      Updated with information about West Africa outbreak.

  13. 29 January 2015

      The map showing Ebola cases in Africa has been updated to the end of 2014.

  14. 27 October 2014

      Updated information about transmission and incubation period.

  15. 24 October 2014

      Updated account of historic outbreaks.

  16. 15 April 2014

      First published.

Documents

Ebola: overview, history, origins and transmission

HTML

Details

Ebola virus emerged in 1976 in almost simultaneous outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sudan (now South Sudan). Since then outbreaks have occurred in both Central and West Africa.

See information about current Ebola outbreaks.