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Ebola Outbreaks Timeline
(1976 - Present)Ebola outbreaks refer to recurring epidemics of Ebola virus disease (EVD), a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The most significant outbreak occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, killing over 11,000 people and prompting an unprecedented global health response. Subsequent outbreaks have continued to emerge primarily in Central Africa, driving advances in vaccines, treatments, and outbreak preparedness. More Less
Early Outbreaks
1976 Sudan Ebola outbreak
Jun 27, 1976 - Nov 1976
Nearly simultaneous with the Zaire outbreak, a separate strain later named Sudan ebolavirus emerged in Nzara and Maridi, Sudan. It caused 284 cases and 151 deaths, spread through hospital workers and close contact, before being contained by November 1976.
Image source: Ebolavirus
1976 Zaire Ebola outbreak
Aug 26, 1976 - Oct 1976
The first recognized Ebola outbreak struck Yambuku, Zaire, beginning with a schoolteacher treated for suspected malaria. Contaminated needles amplified transmission, resulting in 318 cases and 280 deaths, an 88% case fatality rate. The outbreak ended after quarantine measures and hospital closures.
Image source: 1976 Zaire Ebola virus outbreak
Discovery of Ebola virus in Zaire
Sep 1976
The Ebola virus was first identified in September 1976 during an outbreak near the Ebola River in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Scientists at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp and the CDC isolated the virus, a filovirus causing severe hemorrhagic fever with high fatality rates.
Image source: Ebola
1977 Tandala Ebola case in Zaire
Jun 1977
A single fatal case of Ebola occurred in Tandala, Zaire, in June 1977, when a nine-year-old girl died of hemorrhagic fever. Retrospective investigation suggested earlier undetected cases, indicating the virus had circulated silently between outbreaks.
1979 Sudan Ebola recurrence
Jul 31, 1979 - Oct 6, 1979
Sudan ebolavirus re-emerged in Nzara, Sudan, in 1979, causing 34 cases and 22 deaths. The outbreak originated in the same cotton factory implicated in 1976 and was contained within three months through isolation measures.
1994 Tai Forest Ebola case in Ivory Coast
Nov 1994
A Swiss ethologist performing a necropsy on a wild chimpanzee in the Tai Forest, Ivory Coast, became infected with a new ebolavirus species, Tai Forest ebolavirus. She survived, marking the first recognized human infection with this species and linking chimpanzees as a source.
Research and Response
Identification of Reston virus in Virginia monkeys
Oct 1989
A new filovirus, later named Reston virus, was discovered among imported crab-eating macaques at a quarantine facility in Reston, Virginia. Though highly lethal to monkeys, it appeared non-pathogenic to humans, and several workers developed asymptomatic infections.
Image source: Reston virus
2007 Bundibugyo discovery of new ebolavirus species
Aug 2007 - Feb 2008
An outbreak in Bundibugyo District, Uganda, revealed a genetically distinct species, Bundibugyo ebolavirus. It caused 149 cases and 37 deaths with a lower fatality rate than other species, expanding scientific understanding of ebolavirus diversity.
Image source: Bundibugyo ebolavirus
Experimental therapies deployed during epidemic
2014 - 2015
Experimental treatments such as ZMapp, favipiravir, and convalescent plasma were used under compassionate protocols during the West African epidemic. While results were inconclusive due to study limitations, they accelerated development of evidence-based Ebola therapeutics.
Image source: ZMapp
Ebola vaccine trials begin in West Africa
Oct 2014
Clinical trials of experimental vaccines, including rVSV-ZEBOV (Ervebo) and cAd3-ZEBOV, launched in late 2014 amid the epidemic. The rVSV-ZEBOV ring vaccination trial in Guinea in 2015 demonstrated high efficacy, paving the way for eventual licensure.
Image source: RVSV-ZEBOV vaccine
Key Facts
- The first recorded Ebola outbreak occurred in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the Ebola River, which gave the virus its name.
- The 2014-2016 West African epidemic was the largest in history, affecting Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and causing more than 28,000 cases and over 11,000 deaths.
- Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people or animals, making healthcare workers and caregivers especially vulnerable.
- The rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine (Ervebo), proven effective during trials in Guinea in 2015, became the first approved Ebola vaccine in 2019.
- Recurring outbreaks continue in Central Africa, including major epidemics in the DRC in 2018-2020 that killed nearly 2,300 people, highlighting ongoing surveillance needs.
Source
This Ebola Outbreaks timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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