Information
Basic Information:
10,000 Infected [Plague Status]
50% Death Rate and within 7-14 days
High Containment Availability w/ Low Spread Risk
Limited Medical Treatment [Compared to Extent Ebola Viral Strains]
Fastest Spreading Ebola Outbreak w/ Highest Number of Infections
Ebola spreads primarily through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms, or through contact with contaminated surfaces, objects, or infected wildlife. [1, 2, 3]
Signs & Symptoms of Infection:
The illness begins suddenly with flu-like signs: [
1,
2]
Sudden high fever
Severe headache
Muscle and joint aches
Extreme weakness and fatigue
Sore throat
After 4 to 5 days, symptoms often progress to gastrointestinal and more severe clinical signs: [
1,
2]
Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain [
1]
Severe watery diarrhea [
1]
Flat or raised skin rashes that can peel or flake (appearing around days 5 to 7) [
1]
Unexplained bleeding or bruising (such as bleeding from the gums, nose, blood in vomit or stool, or bleeding at injection sites) [
1,
2]
Neurological changes like confusion, irritability, or aggression [
1]
Demographic Information:
High Population [Higher Risk of Spread]
Local Violence [Reduces and Disrupts Medical Availability]
Regional Violence [Increased Risk of International Spread]
Medical Availability & Funding:
Precaution
Level 4 MOPP Gear (Highest Issued U.S. Military Biological Gear)
Deemed Ineffective
Ai Info:
MOPP (Mission-Oriented Protective Posture) suits—which are military chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) gear like the JSLIST suit—are
not standard or recommended for managing the Ebola virus.[
1]
Ebola PPE Precautions (Highest Level Biological Precautions)
Impermeable Gown or Coverall: Fluid-resistant or fluid-impermeable full-body protection. [
1,
2]
Respiratory Protection: NIOSH-approved N95 respirator or a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR).[
1,
2]
Face Protection: Full face shield or goggles to prevent splashes to the eyes, nose, and mouth. [
1,
2]
Gloves: Double-gloving with extended-cuff nitrile gloves. [
1,
2]
Footwear & Coverings: Waterproof boot covers or rubber Wellington boots. [
1,
2]
Additional Layers: Surgical cap or head/neck cover and a disposable waterproof apron. [
1,
2]
Trained Observer: A dedicated observer must read a step-by-step checklist aloud and visually verify every action during the donning and doffing process. [
1]
No Exposed Skin: All skin and mucous membranes must be completely covered with zero gaps. [
1,
2]
Safe Doffing: Removing gear requires strict protocols (such as the glove-in-glove technique and surface disinfection) to prevent contaminating the worker. [
1,
2]
Key Facts About Ebola Contagion:
Before Symptoms: People cannot spread Ebola during the incubation period (which lasts 2 to 21 days after exposure) before clinical signs appear. [
1,
2]
During Illness: A person is infectious as soon as symptoms start (such as fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting, or diarrhea) and remains contagious throughout the entire course of the disease. [
1,
2]
After Death: The body of a person who has died from Ebola remains highly contagious for up to 7 days because the virus is present in all body fluids. [
1,
2]
Post-Recovery Persistence: Even after a person recovers, the virus can linger in immunologically privileged areas of the body (such as the semen, eyes, or central nervous system) for varying lengths of time. For example, the virus can persist in semen for months, and the World Health Organization recommends testing and safe sex practices until clearance is confirmed.
The half-life of the Ebola virus depends heavily on whether it is measured as environmental decay on surfaces or as viral clearance inside the human body.
Environmental Half-Life: On contaminated solid surfaces at room temperature, the theoretical half-life of the Ebola virus is 15 minutes. (The time required for 99% of the initial virus concentration to decay is about 104 minutes). However, it can survive significantly longer—up to several days—if kept at cooler temperatures (4°C) or within organic debris. [
1]
In-Vivo (Blood) Viral Half-Life: In an infected patient, the natural half-life of the virus in the bloodstream during the acute phase of infection is roughly 26 hours. When treated with experimental antiviral therapies or monoclonal antibodies, this half-life can drop to approximately 9.5 hours. [
1,
2]
Environmental Stability vs. Biological Persistence
While the virus decays rapidly in the open environment, its behavior inside a recovered patient is entirely different:
| Medium / Context |
Half-Life / Persistence Time |
| Solid surfaces (Room temp) |
15 minutes (half-life) |
| Human blood (Acute infection) |
26 hours (half-life) |
| Human blood (With antiviral treatment) |
9.5 hours (half-life) |
| Immunologically privileged sites |
12 to 40 months (total persistence) |
The World Health Organization (
WHO) and
CDC track these specific bodily fluid durations during recovery:
Semen: Up to 18 months (infectious virus isolated). Survivors are advised to use condoms for at least 12 months or until testing clear twice.
Breast Milk: Up to 16 months.
Cerebrospinal Fluid: Up to 9 months.
Eyes (Aqueous Humor): Up to 101 days.
Person-to-Person Transmission
Body Fluids: The virus spreads when broken skin or mucous membranes (in the eyes, nose, or mouth) touch blood, vomit, stool, saliva, sweat, urine, breast milk, or amniotic fluid from a sick or deceased person. [
1,
2]
Contaminated Objects: You can catch the virus by touching surfaces, clothing, bedding, or medical equipment (such as needles) contaminated with these fluids. [
1,
2]
Sexual Contact: The virus can persist in semen and be transmitted through sexual intercourse even after a person has recovered from the illness. [
1,
2,
3]
When People Are Contagious: People do not transmit Ebola before symptoms begin. [
1,
2]
Animal-to-Person Transmission (Spillover)
Zoonotic Source: Fruit bats are natural reservoir hosts for the virus.
Infected Wildlife: Humans can contract Ebola by hunting, handling, or eating infected animals like bats, apes, monkeys, or forest antelopes. [
1,
2]
How Ebola Does NOT Spread
Not Airborne: Ebola does not spread through the air like influenza or COVID-19.
No Casual Contact: You cannot catch Ebola by walking past someone, sitting next to them, or through casual public contact.
No Insects: Mosquitoes and other bugs do not transmit the virus. [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
