What Is Ebola?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
5. Where Did Ebola Come From?
Like more viral infections, the Ebola virus is believed to have been transmitted to humans from a wild animal. This virus can be found in chimpanzees, monkeys, porcupines, forest antelopes or fruit bats. The current theory is that the strains of Ebola that caused recent outbreaks were transmitted from fruit bats.
This viral disease was first noticed in humans in 1976. Two separate cases occurred in Central Africa, approximately 500 miles apart. These two cases had genetic distinctions, one being Zaire ebolavirus and the other being Sudan ebolavirus. These cases were contained to Central Africa, but more recent outbreaks became global epidemics within a few months.
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