# Ebola -- endemic?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-endemic/699404>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 24, 2014, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-endemic/699404 "2014-09-24T03:28:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-endemic/699404/1 "2014-09-24T03:28:36Z")

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I’ve been following the Ebola epidemic in west Africa and have been wondering. Is it possible that it will become endemic to that region, just like several other diseases (malaria, yellow fever, etc.)?

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-endemic/699404/2 "2014-09-24T04:14:32Z")

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[Evidently this is a concern.](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/23/us-health-ebola-endemic-idUSKCN0HI1OX20140923) However, it would require Ebola to evolve to become less virulent. Right now the mortality rate is probably too high for it to avoid burning itself out and ceasing to spread. The virus originated in animal hosts and is not well adapted to maintaining itself in humans. If it adapts so that the mortality rate becomes lower, it may be able to maintain itself at a low level within human populations.