Ebola virus is not spread through

• Casual contact

• Air

• Water

• Food grown or legally purchased in the U.S.

How do you get the Ebola virus?

Direct contact with

1. Body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola. (blood, vomit, urine, feces, sweat, semen, spit, other fluids)

2. Objects contaminated with the virus (needles, medical equipment)

3. Infected fruit bats or primates (apes and monkeys)

Early Symptoms

Ebola can only be spread to others after symptoms begin. Symptoms can appear from 2 to 21 days after exposure.

• Fever

• Headache

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Stomach pain

• Unexplained bleeding or bruising

• Muscle pain

When is someone able to spread the disease to others?

Ebola only spreads when people are sick.

A patient must have symptoms to spread the disease to others.

After 21 days, if an exposed person does not develop symptoms, they will not become sick with Ebola.

CS250531

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection