KARAN CHOPRA MOHAN BOLISETTY
Comparative VirologyOctober 2005
Virus Classification Group: Group V (-)ssRNA.
Order:Mononegavirales Family:Filoviridae Genus:Ebolavirus
• Ebola’s natural reservoir is unknown.• Non human primates have been the source of
human infections but are not thought to be the reservoirs.
History• Named after the Ebola River in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), near the first epidemics.
• Two species were identified in 1976: – Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) and – Sudan ebolavirus (SEBOV)
• Case fatality rates of 83% and 54% respectively.• A third species, Reston ebolavirus (REBOV), was
discovered in November 1989 in a group of monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) imported from the Philippines.
• Ivory Coast ebolavirus – Only one case. Unlucky scientist.
OUTBREAKSEBOLA Saga
Saga Continues
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/ebotabl.htm
Most Recent • April 25 – June 16 2005 total of 12
cases including 9 deaths were reported in Etoumbi and Mbomo in the Cuvette Quest Region.
Modes of Transmission
There are 3 modes of infection:
1. Unsterilized needles2. Suboptimal Hospital
conditions3. Personal contact
http://www.ecplanet.com/pic/2003/12/1071257871/ebola.jpg
Symptoms• Onset of fever.• Intense weakness.• Muscle Pain.• Headache.• Soar Throat.• Vommitting, Diarrhoea.• Impaired Kidnay and liver function.
Is There a Cure?• There are no known curative
medications for Ebola.• However, there have been very
recent developments in preventative medications.
Vaccines• In June, Jones and his colleagues, Dr.
Heinz Feldmann of Winnipeg and Dr. Thomas Geisbert at Fort Detrick, Maryland announced that they had successfully vaccinated monkeys against the deadly Ebola virus
• The Ebola vaccine is based on the 1976 strain of the Zaire species and protects from the 1995, but not the other 2 species that affect humans.
Bioterrorism
• Airborne transmission of Ebola Zaire has been demonstrated in monkeys in a controlled laboratory experiment
• Plum Island…?
Conclusion• Even though scientists have recently
made breakthroughs there is still need for extensive research to find vaccines and cures for this deadly virus.
References• www.wikipidea.com• http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/
ebotabl.htm• http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/• Hampton, Tracy. Vaccines Against Ebola and Marburg Viruses
Show Promise in Primates Studies. Maedical News and Perspectives. JAMA. Vol. 294 No. 2 July 2005.
• Jones, Steven. Live attenuated recombinant vaccine protects nonhuman primates against Ebola and Marburg viruses. Nature Medicine. Vol. 11 No. 7 July 2005.