Abstract
Ebola virus is a filamentous, enveloped, non-segmented, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus. It belongs to the Filoviridae and was first recognized near the Ebola River valley in Zaire in 1976. Since then most of the outbreaks have occurred to both human and nonhuman primates in sub-Saharan Africa. Ebola virus causes highly fatal hemorrhagic fever in human and nonhuman primates. In addition to hemorrhagic fever, it could be used as a bioterrorism agent. Although its natural reservoir is yet to be proven, current data suggest that fruit bats are the possibility. Infection has also been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines. Human infection is caused through close contact with the blood, secretion, organ or other body fluids of infected animal. Human-to-human transmission is also possible. Ebola virus infections are characterized by immune suppression and a systemic inflammatory response that causes impairment of the vascular, coagulation, and immune systems, leading to multiorgan failure and shock. The virus constitutes an important public health threat in Africa and also worldwide as no effective treatment or vaccine is available till now DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jemc.v5i1.21497 J Enam Med Col 2015; 5(1): 44-51
Highlights
Ebola virus (EV) is the causative agent of the ongoing deadly epidemic in West Africa
Sporadic outbreaks of Marburg virus and Ebola virus infection have presumably occurred in central Africa for millennia, but the agents were not recognized by the scientific community until the late 20th century.[16]
The cases of filovirus hemorrhagic fever were reported first in 1967 among workers in German and Yugoslavian vaccine plants who were processing tissues from monkeys imported from Uganda
Summary
Ebola virus (EV) is the causative agent of the ongoing deadly epidemic in West Africa It is one of the world's most dreadful pathogens, causing catastrophic clinical disease[1] and remains one of the most lethal transmissible infections with high fatality rates up to 90% and substantial morbidity during sporadic outbreaks.[2,3] High case-fatality rates, as well as known aerosol infectivity, make the virus a potential global health threat and possible biological warfare agent and is classified as category A bioterrorism threats.[4,5,6] EBOV together with Marburg virus comprise the family Filoviridae in the order Mononegavirales.[7] The genus Ebolavirus is comprised of five genetically distinct species: Bundibugyo Ebolavirus (BDBV), Zaire Ebolavirus (ZEBOV), Sudan Ebolavirus (SUDV), Tai Forest Ebolavirus (TAFV) and Reston Ebolavirus (RESTV).[8,9,10] Among the five species Zaire, Sudan and Bundibugyo Ebolaviruses are responsible for most of the Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) outbreaks.[11] Reston. People should be aware of the threats from the Ebola virus in order to avoid infection and scientists should try their best to formulate a treatment and vaccine
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