Though medical science and Virology Research has taken its developed phase in the last few decades, the origin of transmission of the Ebola virus is still unknown. The primary cases of attack are still under speculation while the secondary cases of infection have been mainly due to physical contact with the infected persons. Coming from the same family of filoviruses, Marburg can be transmitted via semen even after 3 months from clinical recovery. The virus spreads through humans by handling of ill or dead chimpanzees. But humans are not infected by airborne transmission.

Transmission of Ebola doesn't happen immediately after a person is infected. It generally gets transmitted in the later stages only. Transmission of Ebola can be in many ways. Some of them may be due to

(1) Direct Contact with the person infected,

(2) Infected body fluids exposure,

(3) Transmission in Hospitals.

Transmission through contaminated persons is possible. Sleeping on the same mat or sharing food with an infected person resulted in transmission. On the other side, washing an infected person's clothes were certainly not risk factors of transmission. Transmission through direct contact with an infected person occurs often at a funeral ceremony where people touch deceased victims. Another way of transmission involves physical exposure with blood or body fluid excretions of an infected person. While taking care of an infected person, the virus spreads to his/her family or friends when they come in close contact with these body fluids.

During outbreaks, transmission of Ebola is widespread mainly because of lack of proper sanitization and sterilization of needles and syringes. The people in the hospital don't wear protective clothing or masks to prevent the infection. This is the main Cause of transmission. The re-use of needles are also a major cause for the disease spread. Awareness of the disease can be increased by educating the people near the outbreak areas about proper preventive measures. Transmission of EHF can be even from animals to animals and from animals to humans. In both cases, if the disease becomes widespread it becomes fatal with a very high mortality rate.

The ways to minimize this transmission are

(1) To avoid any means of contact with the infected persons.

(2) The people who take care of the infected persons should wear protective clothing and use proper sterilization and disposal of needles and syringes.

(3) Separate the infected person and place him in quarantine till he gets completely cured.

(4) Use strict Nursing Rules.

(5) To avoid going near placed where epidemics have occurred.

The most important aspect in a disease but for diagnosis is transmission. Nobody would want a virus to go widespread. Thus efficient ways to control the transmission are being researched and studied. By adopting these ways we can certainly minimize the transmission of the virus to a large extent. Prevention is very important in case of this disease as there is no treatment till date that has proved to eliminate the disease completely. Researchers are still working on a cure and it is therefore advisable for people to stay away from the various sources through which the disease can spread. It is a matter of life and death, after all.