Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. It is a zoonosis affecting both humans and nonhuman primates (NHPs), namely monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees. The virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals, with the natural reservoir now thought to be African fruit bats. Transmission is believed to occur from handling and eating raw or under cooked meat from infected bats or NHPs.