Ebola hemorrhagic fever is caused by a virus. It is a severe and often fatal disease. It can affect humans and other primates. Researchers believe that the virus first spreads from an infected animal to a human. It can then spread from human to human through direct contact with a patient's blood or secretions (MedlinePlus at the National Library of Medicine). It was first described in West Africa in 1976, near the Ebola River (CDC chronology).
About Ebola on MedlinePlus MedlinePlus is a site developed by the federally-funded National Libraries of Medicine to provide easy access to reliable medical and health information for the general public. The information comes from the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health and other agencies and organizations considered to be generally reliable providers of quality information.
Ebola updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the primary online communication channel for the CDC, built to "provide users with credible, reliable health information".
Ebola (Global Alert and Response) from the World Health Organization. This is the health organization of the United Nations. Great for news, overviews and statistics on global public health issues.
Doctors Without Borders on treating Ebola in West Africa.
CUNY preparations for Ebola.
The academic journal Science (AAAS) has a special section covering the 2014-2015 outbreaks including news and research articles.
The academic journal Nature has a special section on the 2015 outbreaks too here or here if you are outside John Jay.
The New England Journal of Medicine special section is here or here.
Local media coverage of the Ebola outbreak and response can be found in West African news sources, listed here. and All- Africa sources . Front Page Africa , is an investigative online news magazine focusing on Liberian news.