Biochemical and virological aspects beyond Ebola virus - Prospects for medications and immunization

Mohammed Helmy Faris Shalayel*¹, Ahmed Morad Asaad², Jobran Miree Alqahtani³, Ietimad AM Ayed⁴, Mohamed Ansar Qureshi⁵, Moawia A Elbadri⁵

¹Professor of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Najran University, KSA.

²Professor of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Najran University, KSA.

³Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Dean of College of Medicine, Najran University, KSA.

⁴Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan.

⁵Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Najran University, KSA.

*Corresponding Author’s Email: drmhfs@hotmail.com

Accepted 01 December, 2014

Abstract

Ebola virus disease (EVD) has a high fatality rate; currently lacks a treatment or vaccine with prov­en safety.  In response, the World Health Organi­zation has declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to be a Public Health Emergency of International Con­cern. However, Ebola is only transmitted by patients who already present symptoms of the disease, and infec­tion only occurs upon direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an Ebola patient. Consequently, trans­mission of the outbreak can be contained through careful monitoring for fever among persons who have visit­ed, or come into contact with persons from, the site of the outbreak. Thus, patients suspected of presenting symptoms characteristic of Ebola should be quarantined. Despite ongoing efforts directed at experimental treatments and vaccine development, current medical management of EVD is largely limited to supportive therapy, thus making early case identification and immediate implementation of appropriate control measures critical. Optimization of EVD management together with rapid diagnosis, greatly improve the clinical outcome. Recent advances in diagnostic procedures and new therapies of patients with several drugs in the initial phase of treatment could further improve the prognosis of EVD cases. This review summarizes the biochemical and virological characters of Ebola virus and highlights the challenges for development of new effective antiviral drugs and vaccine for prompt control and prevention of EVD outbreaks.

Keywords: Ebola virus disease (EVD), Filoviridae, Marburg virus disease, Outbreaks, ZMapp.