Ebola Virus

Abstract

Viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) is a general term for a severe illness characterized by fever and bleeding disorder caused by five families of RNA viruses, including Arenaviridae (Lassa fever, Junin, and Machupo), Bunyaviridae (Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever, Hantaan hemorrhagic fevers), Filoviridae (Ebola and Marburg), Flaviviridae (yellow fever, dengue, Omsk hemorrhagic fever, Kyasanur forest disease), and Rhabdoviridae (Bas-Congo virus) [1-5]. Epidemic hemorrhagic fever caused by Ebola and Marburg viruses represents a major public health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa with the highest fatality rates of the VHFs and lack of any validated prophylaxis or treatment options. The current ongoing (largest known) outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) in West Africa (2014), including Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, brought the spotlight on Ebola virus and highlights the virulent nature of the pathogen [6].