ebola/ɪˈbəʊlə/EtymologyFrom French Ebola, from Northern Ngbandi Legbala (literally “white water”).nameA river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.nounThe Ebola virus.“Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.”Ebola fever.