This clinical review has been developed for The BMJ in collaboration with BMJ Best Practice, based on a regularly updated web/mobile topic that supports evidence-based decision making at the point of care. To view the complete and current version, please refer to the Ebola virus infection topic on the BMJ Best Practice website. Ebola virus disease is a severe, often fatal, zoonotic filovirus in...

Ebolavirus (EBOV) is an enveloped, non-segmented, negative-stranded RNA virus, which consists of five species: Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Tai Forest ebolavirus, Bundibugyo ebolavirus, and Reston ebolavirus. EBOV causes a lethal hemorrhagic fever in both humans and non-human primates. The EBOV RNA genome encodes seven viral proteins: NP, VP35, VP40, GP, VP30, VP24, and L. VP40 is a matr...

Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus (belonging to the Filoviridae family) emerged four decades ago and cause epidemics of haemorrhagic fever with high case-fatality rates. The genome of filoviruses encodes seven proteins. No significant homology is observed between filovirus proteins and any known macromolecule. Moreover, Marburgvirus and Ebolavirus show significant differences in protein homology. The...

The GP(1,2) envelope glycoproteins (GP) of filoviruses (marburg- and ebolaviruses) mediate cell-surface attachment, membrane fusion, and entry into permissive cells. Here we show that a 151-amino acid fragment of the Lake Victoria marburgvirus GP1 subunit bound filovirus-permissive cell lines more efficiently than full-length GP1. An homologous 148-amino acid fragment of the Zaire ebolavirus GP...

We evaluated the susceptibility to Ebola and Marburg virus infection of mice that cannot respond to interferon (IFN)-α/β and IFN-γ because of deletion of the STAT-1 gene. A mouse-adapted Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) caused rapidly lethal disease; wild-type ZEBOV and Sudan Ebolavirus and 4 different Marburg virus strains produced severe, but more slowly progressive illness; and Reston Ebolavirus cau...

Over the past 30 years, Zaire and Sudan ebolaviruses have been responsible for large hemorrhagic fever (HF) outbreaks with case fatalities ranging from 53% to 90%, while a third species, Côte d'Ivoire ebolavirus, caused a single non-fatal HF case. In November 2007, HF cases were reported in Bundibugyo District, Western Uganda. Laboratory investigation of the initial 29 suspect-case blood specim...

symptom onset, increased during the symptomatic period (as shown by higher titers on day 10), peaked by day 30 (2 weeks after recovery), then declined slowly over several years. Zaire ebolavirus IgG remained detectable, often at high levels, >11 years after the infection. These long-lasting IgG antibody responses found in 20 survivors of 3 different Zaire ebolavirus outbreaks rule out the hypot...

We describe an Ebolavirus minigenome-based system that is suitable for high-throughput screening of compounds able to impair Ebolavirus virus replication and/or transcription. The assay is robust (Z' factor, >0.6) and can be carried out in low-biosafety containment. Results from a pilot screen of 960 compounds are presented.

As of 25 March 2015, the largest recorded outbreak of Ebola virus infection is ongoing, with almost 25 000 cases and >10 000 deaths. There are 5 genetically and antigenically distinct species within the genus Ebolavirus. Limited cross-reactivity and protection is observed between these 5 Ebolavirus species, which complicates vaccine development. However, on the basis of sequence homology betwee...

Ebolaviruses are highly lethal filoviruses that cause hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates. With no approved treatments or preventatives, the development of an anti-ebolavirus therapy to protect against natural infections and potential weaponization is an urgent global health need. Here, we describe the design, biophysical characterization, and validation of peptide mimics of the e...