Transmission from person to person

Infected people typically dont become contagious until they develop symptoms. Family members are often infected as they care for sick relatives or prepare the dead for burial.Medical personnel can be infected if they dont use protective gear, such as surgical masks and gloves. Medical centers in Africa are often so poor that they must reuse needles and syringes. Some of the worst Ebola epidemics have occurred because contaminated injection equipment wasnt sterilized between uses.Theres no evidence that Ebola virus or Marburg virus can be spread via insect bites.