Ebola

Question 1

Filoviridae

Answer 1

Filoviruses belong to the virus family Filoviridae

• Ebolavirus
• Marburgvirus

can cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates

Question 2

Ebola host reservoir

Answer 2

Filoviruses are zoonotic
- transmitted to humans from animals other than humans. (ex: fruit bats)
Monkeys, insects and rats= all suspected carriers of the virus

Question 3

Epidemiology of Ebola

Answer 3

how the virus is transmitted from the natural reservoir to a human is unknown

Question 4

Ebola virus structure

Answer 4

nonsegmented
negative-sense, ssRNA
filamentous structure

resembles rhabdoviruses (eg, rabies) and paramyxoviruses (eg, measles, mumps) in its genome organization and replication mechanisms

Question 5

Ebola transmission

Answer 5

when an individual becomes infected through contact with the meat or body fluids of an infected animal
Once the patient becomes ill or dies, the virus then spreads to others who come into direct contact with the infected individual’s blood, skin, or other body fluids

Question 6

Pathogenesis

Answer 6

enters body through mucous membranes
Macrophages and dendritic cells are probably the first to be infected
filoviruses replicate readily within these ubiquitous “sentinel” cells, causing their necrosis and releasing large numbers of new viral particles into extracellular fluid

• Virus found in tears, blood, surface of skin
• Attacks vital organs; massive bleeding inside or out
• Death in about 10 days

Question 7

Treatment

Answer 7

no cure or treatment

isolation