Ebola is an often deadly disease passed to people from wild animals. Signs and symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus. Fever, sore throat, muscular pain, and headaches are early indicators. Vomiting, diarrhea, and rash usually follow.
Later stages of Ebola are marked by decreased function of the liver and kidneys. Soon afterwards, victims can start to bleed both internally and externally. The average fatality rate is about 50%, but can range from 25-90% depending on the species of virus, according to the WHO.
First identified in 1976, Ebola has since risen its ugly head on numerous occasions across several African countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda are currently facing a major outbreak that has caused hundreds of deaths and travel disruptions for the World Cup.
Click through the following gallery for a brief history of this awful disease, and learn about the current outbreak.