EBOLA VIRUS -A Review

Abstract

This review focuses on Ebola, a deadly virus of the family Filoviridae that damages the immune system. Since the initial discovery of Zaire and Sudan ebola virus in 1976, the Ebola viruses have been responsible for severe hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Africa with case fatality rates between 40-90% and Zaire strain showing maximum fatality rate. Most people are infected by giving care to infected people either directly or by cleaning the infected person’s body fluids. Further the review also addresses the signs and symptoms of the disease which is characterized by symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, diarrhea, rash and so on during the early stages of the disease. This disease could be diagnosed through laboratory findings by several detection tests like IgM Elisa, Immunosorbent Assay technique, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Immunohistochemistry testing, isolation of viruses and so on. New drug therapies are evaluated but no FDA approved drug is available, only some supportive care like providing fluids, replacing blood, treating some infections developed is provided to patients suffering from Ebola. Currently ZMapp is being tried which is a combination of three monoclonal antibodies.