Ebola virus disease: Biology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of epidemics

Abstract

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a highly lethal contagious disease caused by the negative RNA strand Ebola virus. Reservoired in wild forest animals of Africa, Ebola virus infects humans that come in direct contact of diseased animals and outbreaks of EVD result from person to person spread of infection. A recent EVD outbreak in West Africa has killed several thousand persons. Since Ebola infection will persist in animals, EVD epidemics are expected to continue to occur in future. Infected travellers from Africa can initiate/import outbreaks in countries of other continents. This review describes the properties of the Ebola virus and EVD, the ongoing attempts to develop diagnostics, vaccines and medicines for prevention and cure of EVD and the supportive care that saves some EVD patients. Also discussed are measures that can stop and prevent EVD outbreaks. Need for inclusion of EVD in the education, research, drug and medical equipment manufacturing programmes, of the densly populated countries such as India, is emphasised.