While West Africa’s 2014 outbreak represents the largest in terms of scale, it was by no means the first. The following CDC timeline lists all major Ebola outbreaks since the virus’ discovery in 1976 and was last updated Nov. 9:
- 1976— Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reported the first Ebola case. There were 318 reported human cases that year and 280 deaths (88 percent mortality).
- 1976— Sudan: 284 reported cases, 151 deaths (53 percent)
- 1976— England: 1 reported case, 0 deaths
- 1977 — Congo: 1 reported case, 1 death (100 percent)
- 1979— Sudan: 34 reported cases, 22 deaths (65 percent)
- 1989 — Philippines: 3 (asymptomatic) reported cases, 0 deaths
- 1990— U.S.: 4 (asymptomatic) reported cases, 0 deaths
- 1994— Gabon: 52 reported cases, 31 deaths (60 percent)
- 1994 — Cote d’Ivoire: 1 reported case, 0 deaths
- 1995— Congo: 315 reported cases, 250 deaths (79 percent)
- 1996— Gabon: 37 reported cases, 21 deaths (57 percent)
- 1996 — Gabon: 60 reported cases, 45 deaths (75 percent)
- 1996— South Africa: 2 reported cases, 1 death (50 percent)
- 1996— Russia: 1 reported case, 1 death, (100 percent)
- 2000— Uganda: 425 reported cases, 224 deaths (53 percent)
- 2001 — Gabon: 65 reported cases, 53 deaths (81 percent)
- 2001— Congo: 59 reported cases, 43 deaths (73 percent)
- 2002 — Congo: 143 reported cases, 128 deaths (89 percent)
- 2003— Congo: 35 reported cases, 29 deaths (83 percent)
- 2004— Sudan: 17 reported cases, 7 deaths (41 percent)
- 2004— Russia: 1 reported case, 1 death (100 percent)
- 2005 — Congo: 12 reported cases, 10 deaths (83 percent)
- 2007— Congo: 264 reported cases, 187 deaths (71 percent)
- 2007— Uganda: 131 reported cases, 42 deaths (32 percent)
- 2008— Philippines: 6 (asymptomatic) reported cases, 0 deaths
- 2008 — Congo: 32 reported cases, 15 deaths (47 percent)
- 2011— Uganda: 1 reported case, 1 death (100 percent)
- 2012— Uganda: 11* cases, 4* deaths (36 percent)
- 2012— Congo: 36* cases, 13* deaths (36 percent)
- 2012 — Uganda: 6* cases, 3* deaths (50 percent)
- 2014 — Congo: 69 reported cases, 49 deaths (71 percent)
- 2014 — Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone: 28,610 reported cases, 11,308 deaths (39 percent)
- 2014 — Italy: 1 reported case, 0 deaths
- 2014 — Mali: 8 reported cases, 6 deaths (75 percent)
- 2014 — Nigeria: 20 reported cases, 8 deaths (40 percent)
- 2014 — Senegal: 1 reported case, 0 deaths
- 2014 — Spain: 1 reported case, 0 deaths
- 2014 — U.S.: 4 reported cases, 1 death (25 percent)
- 2017 — Congo: 8 reported cases, 4 deaths (50 percent)
- 2018 — Congo: 54 reported cases, 33 deaths (61 percent)
- 2018-present — Congo: 560 reported cases, 336 deaths as of Dec. 19
* Denotes laboratory confirmed cases only.
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