Ebola burial site, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 2017. Burial of Ebola victims is a vital part of controlling an outbreak because the Ebola virus can be transmitted to family members preparing a victim's body for burial. Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe and often fatal disease with symptoms including fever, fatigue, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhoea and haemorrhaging (internal bleeding). It is spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. There is no cure for the disease, but three quarters of patients can recover if provided with sufficient medical support. Sierra Leone and other West African countries were severely affected by the Ebola outbreak of 2013 to 2016.