Flexi Says: Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with a strain of the Ebola virus. The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting multiple countries in West Africa, including Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Ebola is spread through direct contact with blood and body fluids of a person infected by and already showing symptoms of Ebola. Ebola is not spread through the air, water, food, or mosquitoes.