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Ebola virus is a serious illness that is highly fatal. Symptoms start with a fever, headache, muscle and stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, skin bruising and may also include a skin rash, red eyes, and hiccups. Additional symptoms may include shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion, seizures, and bleeding. Fatal cases usually present with more severe symptoms early in the course of the illness, and death generally occurs from sepsis or multiorgan failure between days 6 and 16.
Historically, between 25 and 90 percent of Ebola cases have ended in death, with the average case fatality rate estimated at 50 percent. The Africa-based outbreak that began in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in 2014 affected 28,616 individuals and resulted in 11,310 deaths. The outbreak also spread outside these three countries and infected 36 individuals and caused 15 deaths.
Persons who survive Ebola virus disease frequently experience long-term health problems which may include fatigue, headaches, weight gain, vision disturbances, joint and muscle pain, loss of appetite, and stomach pain. Additional health problems can also include dry mouth, neck swelling, tightness of the chest, hearing problems, memory problems, tingling and pain in the hands and feet, changes in menstruation, impotence, inflammation of the testicles, decreased sex drive, sleep disturbances, inflammation of the tissues surrounding the heart, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.