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Ebola viral disease (EVD) is characterized by sudden onset of fever and malaise accompanied by nonspecific signs and symptoms including myalgia, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea. Hemorrhage occurs in 30% to 50% of cases; often, shock and death follow multiorgan dysfunction affecting the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system.
Two ebola virus species, Sudan ebolavirus and Zaire ebolavirus, were initially recognized during outbreaks in 1976. Since then, the Zaire species, which carries higher mortality, has caused most of the outbreaks in Central Africa.
On March 21, 2014, the Guinea Ministry of Health reported a 49-person outbreak of EVD-like illness with a case-fatality rate of 59%. Specimens from 20 of the affected individuals were teste…