Yambuku
Zaire ebolavirus · Mongala Province · verified historical
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Summary
The first recognised outbreak of Ebola virus disease occurred in 1976 around the Yambuku Mission Hospital in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). 318 cases were reported with 280 deaths, a case fatality rate of 88%. The outbreak was largely driven by nosocomial transmission via reused, unsterilised needles and was the index event leading to the identification and naming of Ebola virus after the nearby Ebola River.
Why this matters
Index outbreak; species naming event. Established nosocomial amplification as a defining pattern of EVD.
Sources
- T1 Ebola Virus Disease Distribution Map: Cases of Ebola Virus Disease in Africa Since 1976 CDC · 2026-05-18
- T2 Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Zaire, 1976 Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2026-05-18