1.3 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

1.3.3 Modes of transmission

The virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals (primary transmission) and spreads afterwards within a population by contact with contaminated biological fluids (human to human transmission).

Primary transmission:

Close contact with blood, secretions, organs or biological fluids of infected animals, hunted, found sick or dead in the tropical forest (fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelopes, porcupines, chimpanzees, gorillas) -> bush meat.

Human-to-human transmission:

  • Contact with biological fluids (blood, feces, vomit, urine, saliva, sputum, tears, sperm)

  • Risk: present only at an advanced stage of the illness (no transmission during the incubation phase or the early stage when fever is the only symptom); close contact during caretaking or when preparing the body for burial; indirect contact, for example with contaminated healthcare equipment

  • No airborne human-to-human transmission

It is important to note that a person who is clinically recovered can still transmit Ebola for 3 months after discharge through unprotected sexual relationships (using condoms is recommended, which ideally should be made available to people who have recovered when they leave the hospital). Like semen, maternal milk may still contain some virus, therefore a woman who has recovered should not breastfeed her child so as not to contaminate her baby.