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Article: Ebola Virus
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- The Gale Encyclopedia of Science
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Ebola Virus
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The Ebola virus is one of two members of a family of viruses that is designated as the Filoviridae. The name of the virus comes from a river located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the virus was discovered.
The species of Ebola virus are among a number of viruses that cause a disease that is typified by copious internal bleeding and bleeding from various orifices of the body, including the eyes. The disease can be swiftly devastating and results in death in over 90% of cases.
As of 2006, four species of Ebola virus have been identified, based on differences in their genetic sequences and in the immune reaction they elicit in infected individuals. ...