Structure & Property

Transmission

Clinical findings

Laboratory diagnosis

Treatment

Family: filovirus

Genome: single strand nonsegmented, linear, -ve polarity RNA

Size: 80nm

Helical nucleocapsid

Long, branching, filamentous particles, with hooked ends.

Enveloped with surface projections

Host species are unknown, though it seems likely that monkeys are involved

Outbreaks in Africa.

Able to spread directly from case to case.

Severe febrile illnesses with:

- headache, myalgia

- maculopapular rash

- haemorrhagic manifestations

- vomiting

- diarrhea

- hepatitis

- pharyngitis

- renal and CNS involvement

- leukopenia with atypical lymphocytes and plasma cells.

Isolation: blood

Inoculate guinea pigs or cell cultures

Observe guinea pigs for signs of febrille illness, with detection of virus antigen by immunofluorescence in lesions in liver, lymph nodes of spleen.

Observe cell cultures for intracytoplasmic inclusions and by immunofluorescence.

Serology: indirect immunofluorescence

No antiviral therapy or vaccine available.