Ebola exists in certain mammals (primates, bats) in Africa. Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family may be natural Ebola virus hosts. Ebola can get into people's bodies when they have close contact with the blood, fluids, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals. Examples include sick or dead chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope, and porcupines.
Once infection occurs in humans, Ebola spreads through direct contact (through broken skin, mucous membranes -eyes, nose, mouth, etc.) with:
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Blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola
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Objects contaminated with the virus (e.g., surfaces, bedding, needles, syringes)
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Semen from a man who recovered from EVD through oral, vaginal, or anal sex
The chance of spreading the disease is greatest when the person who has it is in the later stages of the illness. During this time, their body contains a lot of the virus. The person may be vomiting, having diarrhea, or bleeding. The chance of spreading the disease is also high if you come into contact with the body of someone who has died from the disease, without proper protection. This can happen when you prepare the body for burial or do other similar things.
If a person does not have any signs or symptoms of Ebola virus disease, then they cannot spread it to others. Usually, the virus is not passed on through food, unless someone handles or eats contaminated bush meat (wild animal meat).