Ebola virus is a highly virulent pathogen which can cause severe viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and non-human primates, with the case fatality rates being as high as 90%. Currently, there is neither a specific treatment nor a vaccine licensed for use in humans. The challenge brought by the Ebola epidemic has promoted the following research focuses: specific and sensitive detection techniques, safe and effective vaccines and drugs. Here, we summarized the epidemiology, biology and pathogenesis of ebola virus, as well as the recent advances in diagnosis and vaccines for prevention of Ebola hemorrhagic fever.