Ebola treatment unit. Computer illustration of a doctor wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) whilst treating a patient with ebola during the 2014 outbreak in West Africa. Ebola virus disease (EVD), or ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF), is caused by the ebola virus. It is a severe and often fatal disease with symptoms including fever, fatigue, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhoea and haemorrhaging (internal bleeding). There is no cure, but three quarters of patients can recover if provided with sufficient medical support. The 2014 outbreak in West Africa was the largest ever recorded and was declared an international public health emergency.