When was the first picture of the Ebola virus made?

The Ebola virus was first photographed on Oct. 13, 1976, by virologist Frederick A. Murphy, reports Time magazine. His pictures are considered the most commonly used images of the virus.

The virus causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever in humans, according to WebMD. Ebola kills by damaging vital organs and causing the infected person to bleed uncontrollably. The contagious disease kills about 90 percent of those infected.

Ebola has an incubation time between two and 21 days. Early symptoms of the disease include high fever, headache, sore throat, muscle aches and stomach pain. Later a rash often appears, and many people begin to vomit blood or bleed from the eyes or nose during this stage, reports WebMD.