Ebola virus disease: general characteristics, thoughts, and perspectives.

Abstract

The genus Ebolavirus can be classified into five species, namely, Sudan ebolavirus (EBOV), Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Tai Forest ebolavirus (TAFV), Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), and Reston ebolavirus (RESTV). Since 1976, Ebolavirus has slightly evolved every year, and undergone several mutations in the past 40 years. Phylogenetic analysis of the full-length genome sequences established a separate clade for the new Guinean EBOV strain, which is considered as the causative agent for the current outbreak in West Africa and its homology with other known EBOV strains is 97% (2) . This finding suggests that the EBOV strain from Guinea shares a recent ancestor with the strains from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon but has not been introduced from the latter countries into Guinea. Epidemiology EVD remains a plague in Africa, with an increase in the number of outbreaks and cases since 2000. As a classic zoonosis, Ebolavirus is believed to persist in a reservoir species in endemic areas. Apes, man, and perhaps other mammalian species are regarded as end hosts of Ebolavirus (3)