Ebolavirus, the causative agent of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is an enveloped single stranded negative sense ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus from the Filoviridae family in the order Mononegavirales. The family comprises two genera, the Marburgvirus and Ebolavirus.
The virus and its associated disease are endemic to Africa. Four of the five Ebolavirus identifed species cause EHF, the Zaire (ZEBOV), Sudan (SEBOV), Bundibugyo (BEBOV), and Tai Forest (Cote d'Ivoire, CIEBOV) ebolaviruses. The fifth member of the family, the Reston ebolavirus (REBOV), is from Asia and has caused lethal illness in imported non-human primates. It does not appear to be pathogenic for humans as handlers of the sick monkeys only seroconverted. REBOV was also identified in pigs farms in the Philippines.
Ebola virions are easily transmitted from human to human through infected blood or body fluids, and by contact with contaminated objects and infected animals. Barrier nursing techniques have been shown to be sufficient to protect medical personnel against Ebolavirus infection. Nevertheless, nosocomial transmission, mainly due to poor infection control practices, is often observed during outbreaks. Last update: Monday, July 13, 2020
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