Ebola virus facts for kids
The Ebola virus is a very serious virus. It causes a dangerous illness called Ebola virus disease. This disease makes people very sick, very quickly. A key sign is a high fever, along with other symptoms.
The word "hemorrhagic" means that a person might bleed a lot. This bleeding can happen both inside and outside the body. The Ebola virus can harm almost every part of the body. This can cause many organs to stop working correctly.
Ebola is very deadly. On average, about five to nine out of every ten people who get Ebola do not survive. There are four main types of Ebola virus that can make people sick. The virus was first discovered in Sudan. It is mostly found in Africa. There have been only a few cases in Europe and the United States.
How Can We Prevent Ebola?
Scientists are working hard to find ways to stop Ebola.
Is There a Vaccine for Ebola?
Right now, there isn't a widely available vaccine for Ebola. But researchers are making progress. They are trying to develop new medicines and vaccines. These could help protect people from getting sick.
Images for kids
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A colorized scanning electron micrograph of the virus
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Genomic structure of Ebola virus, mostly after GenBank KJ660346.2
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NPC1
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Cross-sectional drawing of the Ebola virus particle, with structures of the major proteins shown and labeled at the side. Pale circles represent domains too flexible to be observed in the experimental structure. Drawn by David Goodsell from PDB files 3csy, 4ldd, 4qb0, 3vne, 3fke, and 2i8b.
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Marburg virus
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