Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the risk to Europe

The 2013-2016 outbreak of Ebola virus began in Guinea in December 2013. It was the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, involving multiple countries and continents. Cases were reported in 3 countries with widespread and intense transmission (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) and other countries with initial case(s) or with localized transmission. The risk of Ebola spreading in Europe is very low. While sporadic imported cases in Europe remain possible, European countries are among the best prepared in the world to respond to viral hemorrhagic fever, which includes Ebola. The most effective way to prevent Ebola infections in Europe is to control any outbreak wherever it occurs.