Humans become infected with Ebola through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other body fluids of infected animals. In Africa, people have become infected by handling infected sick or dead chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelopes, and porcupines in the rainforest. It is important to reduce contact with high-risk animals (i.e. fruit bats, monkeys or apes), including picking up dead animals found in the forest or handling their raw meat. Once someone comes into contact with an animal infected with Ebola, it can cause human-to-human transmission in the community. Infection can occur when people come into direct contact with blood, body fluids or other secretions (feces, urine, saliva and sperm) of an infected person through broken skin or mucous membranes. Infection can also occur when a healthy person’s broken skin or mucous membranes come into contact with the environment or objects contaminated with blood and body fluids from an Ebola patient (e.g., soiled clothing, bed sheets, or used needles). Medical personnel can be exposed to this virus if they do not wear appropriate personal protective equipment when treating Ebola patients. Health care workers at all levels of the health system (hospitals, clinics, and health posts) should be aware of the nature of the disease and how it is transmitted, and strictly adhere to recommended infection control precautions. Direct contact between people and the dead body during the funeral of an Ebola victim is also an important mode of Ebola transmission. Therefore, people must wear protective clothing and gloves with strong protection when handling the bodies of Ebola deceased and burying the deceased immediately. Ebola is contagious as long as the patient has Ebola in his or her blood and secretions. Therefore, an infected patient should be closely observed by health care workers and laboratory tests should be performed to ensure that the virus is no longer present in the patient’s body before discharge home. When the health care provider determines that the patient is ready to go home, the patient is no longer contagious and will not cause infection to anyone else in the community. Men may still transmit the virus to their sexual partners through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery. Therefore, men should avoid sexual intercourse for at least 7 weeks after recovery or wear a condom when having intercourse for 7 weeks after recovery. Who is at the highest risk of infection? In the event of an outbreak, persons at higher risk of infection are: (1) medical personnel; (2) family members or others who have had close contact with the patient; (3) persons who have had direct contact with the body of the deceased during a funeral; (4) persons who have come into contact with dead animals in the forest in rainforest areas.