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What is Ebola Virus Disease(EVD)?
Ebola virus disease (EVD) also known
as Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) is
a deadly disease with occasional
outbreaks that occur primarily on the
African continent. EVD most commonly
affects people and nonhuman primates
(such as monkeys, gorillas, and
chimpanzees).
What is Ebola Virus Disease(EVD)?
It is caused by an infection with a group of viruses
within the genus Ebolavirus:
• Ebola virus (species Zaire ebolavirus)
• Sudan virus (species Sudan ebolavirus)
• Taï Forest virus (species Taï Forest ebolavirus,
formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus)
• Bundibugyo virus (species Bundibugyo ebolavirus)
• Reston virus (species Reston ebolavirus)
• Bombali virus (species Bombali ebolavirus)
History of Ebola Virus Disease
Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in
what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since then, the virus has been infecting people from time to
time, leading to outbreaks in several African countries.
Scientists do not know where Ebola virus comes from.
However, based on the nature of similar viruses, they believe
the virus is animal-borne, with bats or nonhuman primates
with bats or nonhuman primates (chimpanzees, apes,
monkeys, etc.) being the most likely source.
Emergence of Ebola in Humans
• Ebola virus disease (EVD), one of the deadliest viral diseases,
was discovered in 1976 when two consecutive outbreaks of
fatal hemorrhagic fever occurred in different parts of Central
Africa.
• The first outbreak occurred in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (formerly Zaire) in a village near the Ebola River, which
gave the virus its name.
• The second outbreak occurred in what is now South Sudan,
approximately 500 miles (850 km) away.
Causes
• Researchers have now found evidence of Ebola
infection in three species of fruit bat.
• The bats show no symptoms of the disease, indicating
that they may be the main natural reservoirs of the
Ebolavirus.
• It is possible that there are other reservoirs and
vectors.
Transmission
• Scientists think people are initially infected with Ebola virus
through contact with an infected animal, such as a fruit bat
or nonhuman primate. This is called a spillover event. After
that, the virus spreads from person to person, potentially
affecting a large number of people

• The virus spreads through direct contact (such as through

broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or
mouth) with:
Transmission
• Blood or body fluids (urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and
semen) of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola virus disease
(EVD).
• Objects (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment)
contaminated with body fluids from a person who is sick with or has died
from EVD.
• Infected fruit bats or nonhuman primates (such as apes and monkeys).
• Semen from a man who recovered from EVD (through oral, vaginal, or
anal sex). The virus can remain in certain body fluids (including semen) of
a patient who has recovered from EVD, even if they no longer have
symptoms of severe illness. There is no evidence that Ebola can be
spread through sex or other contact with vaginal fluids from a woman
who has had Ebola.
Signs and Symptoms
• Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21
days after contact with the virus, with an average
of 8 to 10 days. The course of the illness typically
progresses from “dry” symptoms initially (such
as fever, aches and pains, and fatigue), and then
progresses to “wet” symptoms (such as diarrhea
and vomiting) as the person becomes sicker.
Programs implemented by the
government to prevent Ebola
• Five years ago, the Philippine government stopped the deployment
of OFWs to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone due to Ebola outbreak. 
• The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday, September 5,
confirmed that monkeys held captive in an unnamed facility in the
country have the Ebola Reston Virus (ERV).
• According to Health Secretary Janette Garin, the virus can be
transmitted by the monkeys to humans "without resulting in illness."
The threat posed to healthy adults ranges from "low to none".       
Programs implemented by the
government to prevent Ebola
According to Bureau of Animal Industry Director Rubina Cresencio, the
monkeys confined in the unnamed facility were quarantined to prevent the
spread of ERV. Also, the 25 personnel who were working in the unnamed
facility were collected of blood samples and then sent to the Research
Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for “ERV antibodies using ELISA or
Enzyme Immunosorbent assay.“
And The results yielded negative for ERV.
The Department of Health continued to monitor the health status of the 25
personnel in the unnamed facility.
Though, Reston Virus strain does not affect humans, the DOH wanted to
ensure that the virus will not evolve or mutate into a strain that could infect
humans.
Programs implemented by the
government to prevent Ebola
• On 2019, the Philippine government is monitoring the
outbreak of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo
to prevent the spread of the disease in the country, Labor
Secretary Silvestre Bello said the government would not yet
ban the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to
Congo.    
• The World Health Organization said the government would
not yet ban the deployment of overseas (WHO) has declared
Ebola a public emergency concern, according to the
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
UPDATES on Ebola in the
Philippines
The Department of Health, with growing concern for
public health and safety as the international
community combats the recent emergence of
the Ebola Virus, along with other government
agencies, has issued notices in hopes to inform the
public of the nature of the disease. Compiled here are
press releases and updates on the government’s
ongoing campaign to prevent an outbreak of the virus.
As of now, the Philippines remains Ebola-free.
Despite the recent declaration
of Ebola virus disease in the
Democratic Republic of the
Congo as a “public health
emergency of international
concern,” the risk of it
spreading to the Philippines
and other countries in Western
Pacific remains low. - WHO
Prepared by: Delfin A. Urbano, Jr.