Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains.Ebola can cause disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).Ebola is caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genus Ebolavirus.here are five identified Ebola virus species, four of which are known to cause disease in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus); Tai Taï forest (Virus Tai taï, forest Ebolavirus formerly’Cote côte); d Ivoire ebolavirus (And bundibugyo). virus bundibugyo ebolavirus