Ebola virus disease is a relatively rare viral pathogen linked with high case fatality rates in both humans and non-human primates. The disease is zoonotic, and while bats have been implicated as reservoirs, definitive host species are yet to be identified. Once a human becomes infected after viral transmission from animal sources either directly or indirectly, secondary human-to-human transmission is possible, primarily through exchange of infectious bodily fluids and secretions. Clinical cases typically present initially as a febrile illness, similar to a number of different pathogens, subsequently followed by haemorrhagic complications, and often death.
Source: Global Health Data Exchange