( CNN ) -- Fourteen people have died so far from the Ebola outbreak that began earlier this month in Western Uganda . According to the World Health Organization , the first case is believed to be from the Nyanswiga village in Nyamarunda , a sub-county of the Kibaale district of Uganda . So far , 36 suspected cases have been reported , WHO spokesman Tariq Jasarevic said Tuesday . Nine of the deaths are reported to have occurred in one household ; a health official who was treating one of the patients also died . Unfortunately family members and health officials - those caring for the already sickened - are the most likely to be infected as well . When was Ebola first discovered ? The Ebola virus was first detected in 1976 in the central African nation of Zaire ( now the Democratic Republic of the Congo ) . The virus is named after a river in that country , where the first outbreak of the disease was found . There are five species of Ebola viruses , all named after the areas they were found in : Zaire , Sudan , Cote d'Ivoire , Bundibugyo and Reston , according to the WHO . ( There can be different strains of Ebola within each species ) . Health officials have determined that the Sudan species is the culprit in this current outbreak , which is among the three more lethal species of Ebola . The fatality ratios of Ebola hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Africa are between 25 % and 90 % , according to a WHO fact sheet . So far only the Reston species of Ebola has been found to infect humans and not cause serious illness or death . What are the symptoms of Ebola and is there a cure ? Initial symptoms of Ebola can be mistaken for other illnesses like the flu because they can be very similar : sudden high fever , joint and muscle pain and sore throat . But Ebola victims then often get bloody diarrhea and/or start vomiting , followed by rashes , red eyes , and internal and external bleeding ( bloody nose or gums ) . Early reports from this outbreak suggest more patients were suffering from vomiting and diarrhea than visible external bleeding . But health officials caution that information about this outbreak is still very scattered and the investigation has just begun . There is no treatment for Ebola and no vaccine . All doctors can do is provide patients with supportive care , like replenishing fluids and electrolytes , keeping their blood pressure and oxygen levels in check and treating any infections that might occur , according to the Centers for Disease Control . There 's a lot that 's not known about this disease , but researchers suspect that `` patients who die usually have not developed a significant immune response to the virus at the time of death , '' according to a CDC fact sheet . How does it spread ? Researchers do not know what the natural reservoir of the Ebola virus is . But they have found its cousin virus - Marburg , which also causes hemorrhagic fever - in fruit bats in Africa . While there are no known cases of a human being directly infected with Ebola by a bat , sources tell CNN , there are two documented cases of humans being infected with the Marburg virus after being in a cave full of fruit bats . However , researchers believe humans are infected either by handling of dead or alive infected animals ( like chimpanzees , gorillas and forest antelopes ) , or by being in direct close contact with someone who is sick with or has already died from Ebola . The virus can be found in bodily fluids like blood , urine , diarrhea and saliva , so direct contact with these fluids from infected humans or animals , can lead to the transmission . People can also become infected by coming into contact bodily secretions found on needles , scalpels , soiled clothes and linens . Can Ebola be contained ? Once an outbreak has been identified , the transmission of the virus can be prevented , if proper precautions are taken . Avoiding contact with body fluids from someone sickened with Ebola is key . That means wearing proper personal protection equipment like gloves , gowns , masks and eye protection . Hospitals will also set up isolation wards to isolate Ebola patients from other patients . Officials tell CNN that while those caring for the actively sick need to wear PPE ( personal protection equipment ) , someone walking through a village where a patient was sick would n't need to wear a mask because the virus is n't airborne . Could this outbreak spread to the U.S. or other distant countries ? Experts think it 's unlikely the current outbreak would spread to the United States . While the only example of transmission of Ebola in the United States came with the importation of research monkeys ( no humans were sickened ) , there was a situation four years ago where two tourists traveling in Uganda were infected with Marburg hemorrhagic fever . Both patients returned to their home countries , according to the CDC . One survived and the other died , but nobody else was infected because proper protections were taken during treatment . When is an outbreak considered 'finished ' ? The incubation period for Ebola is two to 21 days , according to the WHO . Health officials tell CNN an outbreak is considered to be over following two incubation periods after the last person becomes ill - a total of 42 days .
Nine suspected cases have been reported , the Centers for Disease Control spokesman says . Ebola virus was first detected in four years ago in the central African nation of Sudan . Initial symptoms of Ebola can be mistaken for other illnesses like the flu . There is no treatment for Ebola and no vaccine .