Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How does Ebola spread from infected animals to humans?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Ebola
Numerous filamentous ebolavirus particles (blue) budding from a chronically-infected VERO E6 cell (yellow-green) in this digitally colorized scanning electron micrograph produced by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Ebola is transmitted to humans through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or tissues of infected animals. Outbreaks frequently originate when humans come into contact with infected wildlife, particularly fruit bats or nonhuman primates.1
While fruit bats are considered a suspected natural reservoir for the virus, the exact mechanisms of transmission from these animals to humans are rooted in this direct exposure to contaminated biological materials. Once the virus has crossed the species barrier, it can then spread between humans through caregiving, unsafe medical practices, or burial rituals involving contact with the bodies of those who have died from the disease.21