Ebola Virus Disease
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PRIMER Ebola virus disease Shevin T. Jacob1,2, Ian Crozier3, William A. Fischer II4, Angela Hewlett5, Colleen S. Kraft6, Marc-Antoine de La Vega7, Moses J. Soka8, Victoria Wahl9, Anthony Griffiths10, Laura Bollinger11 and Jens H. Kuhn11 ✉ Abstract | Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe and frequently lethal disease caused by Ebola virus (EBOV). EVD outbreaks typically start from a single case of probable zoonotic transmission, followed by human-to-human transmission via direct contact or contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated fomites. EVD has a high case–fatality rate; it is characterized by fever, gastrointestinal signs and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Diagnosis requires a combination of case definition and laboratory tests, typically real-time reverse transcription PCR to detect viral RNA or rapid diagnostic tests based on immunoassays to detect EBOV antigens. Recent advances in medical countermeasure research resulted in the recent approval of an EBOV-targeted vaccine by European and US regulatory agencies. The results of a randomized clinical trial of investigational therapeutics for EVD demonstrated survival benefits from two monoclonal antibody products targeting the EBOV membrane glycoprotein. New observations emerging from the unprecedented 2013–2016 Western African EVD outbreak (the largest in history) and the ongoing EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have substantially improved the understanding of EVD and viral persistence in survivors of EVD, resulting in new strategies toward prevention of infection and optimization of clinical management, acute illness outcomes and attendance to the clinical care needs of patients. To date, 12 distinct filoviruses have been described1. outbreak. All FVD outbreaks, with the exception of that The seven filoviruses that have been found in humans caused by TAFV, were characterized by extremely high belong either to the genus Ebolavirus (Bundibugyo virus case–fatality rates (CFRs, also known as lethality). Until (BDBV), Ebola virus (EBOV), Reston virus (RESTV), 2013, the most extensive outbreak, caused by SUDV, Sudan virus (SUDV) and Taï Forest virus (TAFV); Fig. 1) involved 425 cases and 224 deaths (CFR 52.7%)6. The or to the genus Marburgvirus (Marburg virus (MARV) overall limited numbers of FVD cases (1967–2013: and Ravn virus (RAVV))2. The WHO International 2,886 cases including 1,982 deaths4), the typical remote Classification of Diseases Revision 11 (ICD-11) of 2018 and rural locations of outbreaks and the often delayed recognizes two major subcategories of filovirus disease announcement of new outbreaks to the international (FVD): Ebola disease caused by BDBV, EBOV, SUDV community7 have prevented the systematic study of or TAFV, and Marburg disease caused by MARV or clinical FVD in humans. Thus, the commonly used RAVV. Ebola virus disease (EVD) is defined as a disease description of FVD was derived either from observa- only caused by EBOV. This subcategorization of FVD tion of small groups of patients in care settings that were is largely based on the increasing evidence of mole- not well-equipped for diagnosis, treatment and disease cular differences between ebolaviruses and marburg- characterization, or from observations of even smaller viruses, differences that may influence virus–host samples, such as individuals who were transferred from reservoir tropism, pathogenesis and disease phenotype Equatorial Africa to Europe and the USA or who fell sick in accidental primate hosts2. in Europe or the USA after contracting the virus else- Since the discovery of filoviruses in 1967 (REF.3), where. Pathological characterization of FVD via auto- 43 FVD outbreaks (excluding at least five laboratory- psies has been rare7,8. In the absence of extensive human acquired infections) have been recorded in or exported clinical data, FVD could only be defined further via the from Africa4. The epidemiological definition of outbreak use of experimental animal infections9,10. ✉e-mail: kuhnjens@ is one or more cases above the known endemic preva- Until 2013, most EVD outbreaks originated from mail.nih.gov lence. For example, the single case of TAFV infection Middle Africa: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, https://doi.org/10.1038/ recorded in a setting in which FVD had never been Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. From late 2013 s41572-020-0147-3 reported before (Côte d’Ivoire)5 is still considered an to early 2016, EBOV caused the largest outbreak to NATURE REVIEWS | DISEASE PRIMERS | Article citation ID: (2020) 6:13 1 0123456789(); PRIMER 27,28 Author addresses dysfunction . Ultimately, these patients develop robust immune responses leading to clearance of viraemia and a 1 Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK. resolution phase. However, recovery can be complicated 2 Global Health Security Department, Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, by long-lasting clinical sequelae and/or virus persistence Kampala, Uganda. in immune-privileged sites that can lead to disease flares 3Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research supported by the and even sexual transmission. In this Primer, we out- National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA. line the current improved understanding of EVD based 4Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, on the most recently published human clinical data. Chapel Hill, NC, USA. 5Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Nebraska Epidemiology Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA. Classic epidemiology 6Microbiology Section, Emory Medical Laboratory, Emory University School of Medicine, Since the discovery of EBOV in 1976 in the Democratic Atlanta, GA, USA. Republic of the Congo (then Zaire)29–31, at least 17 EVD 7 Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Université Laval, outbreaks have originated in Gabon, Guinea, the Quebec City, QC, Canada. Republic of the Congo or Zaire/Democratic Republic of 8Partnership for Ebola Virus Disease Research in Liberia, Monrovia Medical Units ELWA-2 Hospital, Monrovia, Liberia. the Congo. At the time of writing, ~33,604 EBOV infec- 9National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Fort Detrick, Frederick, tions in humans, including 14,742 deaths (average CFR 4,22 MD, USA. 43.8%) are on record , although case numbers differ 10Department of Microbiology and National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, slightly from source to source. Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. 11Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Outbreaks and transmission. Most outbreaks can be Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA. traced back to a single spillover introduction of EBOV into the human population from an unknown reservoir date, which spread from Guinea to other countries in by unknown means. Subsequently, the virus is transmit- Western Africa, leading to 28,652 human infections and ted by direct, typically non-aerosol, human-to-human 11,325 deaths11. The location and scale of the 2013–2016 contact or contact with infected tissues, bodily fluids outbreak was entirely unexpected12. Consequently, local, or contaminated fomites (FIG. 1)4. Based on historical national and international organizations were caught records, EBOV may have been transmitted from its nat- unprepared for an outbreak caused by what, until then, ural reservoir host(s) to humans to cause disease only was considered an exotic pathogen of largely negligi- about 20–30 times (Table 1), although it is probable that ble consequence for global public health13–15. After the limited EVD outbreaks may have been overlooked or not WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency reported. The potential for infection of an index case and of International Concern, the global and local responses subsequent spread — locally and globally — has been to the outbreak intensified. Ultimately, the outbreak estimated by considering reservoir species distribution, was contained, but it devastated individuals, families, along with governance, communications, isolation, communities, health-care systems and economies16. infrastructure, health care and international connectiv- In most affected countries, the response included the ity32. These predictions are crucial to identify regions that establishment of Ebola (virus disease) Treatment Units require increased surveillance and investments. Tracking (ETUs)17–19, in which medical professionals and biomed- EBOV within the human population after a zoonotic ical scientists managed large cohorts of patients with transmission event can be challenging, especially as the suspected or confirmed EVD in controlled settings. single natural reservoir has not been identified. From this experience, scientists were able to better A strong risk factor linked to human-to-human understand a virus previously best known as a poten- EBOV propagation is contact with infected bodily flu- tial bioweapons agent20,21. In addition to the Western ids33–35. Indeed, infectious EBOV has been recovered African outbreak, an ongoing outbreak in the Ituri, from breast milk, saliva, urine, semen, cerebrospinal Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu Provinces of the Democratic fluid, and aqueous humor, in addition to blood and blood Republic of the Congo is the second largest outbreak derivatives, and detected