Ebola virus

American

noun

a highly contagious virus of the family Filoviridae that causes Ebola, a usually fatal disease.

Ebola virus Scientific

/ ĭ-bō′lə /

A virus of African origin, belonging to the genus Filovirus, that causes a highly contagious infection characterized by fever, respiratory symptoms, bleeding, and sometimes central nervous system involvement with coma. In many patients there is progressive organ failure leading to death.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

NAIROBI, Kenya—The fast-spreading Ebola virus is overwhelming creaking hospitals and clinics in the Democratic Republic of Congo, dimming hopes for quick containment of what is already the third-largest outbreak of the killer disease in history.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

On Saturday, the African Union's health agency warned that more countries on the continent were at risk of being affected by the Ebola virus, in addition to the DRC and Uganda.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Ebola virus is in the headlines again this week.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

At least six Americans have been exposed to the Ebola virus during a deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, sources have told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

She was beginning to think that this monkey did not have Ebola virus.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023