Ebola disease

Ebola was first identified in Africa in the mid-1970s. An outbreak that began in March 2014 was the most serious so far. By August 13 2014 it had killed more than 1,000 people across Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
An person infected with Ebola virus will typically develop a fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, sore throat, and intense muscle weakness.
These symptoms start suddenly, between 2 and 21 days after becoming infected, but usually after 5-7 days.
If you feel unwell with the above symptoms within 21 days of coming back from Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone, you should stay at home and immediately telephone 111 or 999 and explain that you have recently visited West Africa.
These services will provide advice and arrange for you to be seen in a hospital if necessary so the cause of your illness can be determined.
It's really important that medical services are expecting your arrival and calling 111 or 999 will ensure this happens.
It's difficult to know if a patient is infected with Ebola virus in the early stages as symptoms such as fever, headache and muscle pain are similar to those of many other diseases.
But specialist infection clinicians will make expert judgements on what the most likely diagnosis is based on the patient’s history.