Epidemiology of Ebolaviruses from an Etiological Perspective
Since the inception of the ebolavirus in 1976, 32 outbreaks have resulted in nearly 15,350 deaths in more than ten countries of the African continent. In the last decade, the largest (2013–2016) and second largest (2018–2020) ebolavirus outbreaks have occurred in West Africa (mainly Guinea, Liberia,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/2/248 |
| _version_ | 1797618806123659264 |
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| author | Sahil Jain Svetlana Khaiboullina Ekaterina Martynova Sergey Morzunov Manoj Baranwal |
| author_facet | Sahil Jain Svetlana Khaiboullina Ekaterina Martynova Sergey Morzunov Manoj Baranwal |
| author_sort | Sahil Jain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since the inception of the ebolavirus in 1976, 32 outbreaks have resulted in nearly 15,350 deaths in more than ten countries of the African continent. In the last decade, the largest (2013–2016) and second largest (2018–2020) ebolavirus outbreaks have occurred in West Africa (mainly Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, respectively. The 2013–2016 outbreak indicated an alarming geographical spread of the virus and was the first to qualify as an epidemic. Hence, it is imperative to halt ebolavirus progression and develop effective countermeasures. Despite several research efforts, ebolaviruses’ natural hosts and secondary reservoirs still elude the scientific world. The primary source responsible for infecting the index case is also unknown for most outbreaks. In this review, we summarize the history of ebolavirus outbreaks with a focus on etiology, natural hosts, zoonotic reservoirs, and transmission mechanisms. We also discuss the reasons why the African continent is the most affected region and identify steps to contain this virus. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:18:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40d2a44c0c444106bdb002e19c49ed54 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:18:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-40d2a44c0c444106bdb002e19c49ed542023-11-16T22:34:03ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172023-02-0112224810.3390/pathogens12020248Epidemiology of Ebolaviruses from an Etiological PerspectiveSahil Jain0Svetlana Khaiboullina1Ekaterina Martynova2Sergey Morzunov3Manoj Baranwal4Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala 147004, Punjab, IndiaInstitute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Tatarstan, RussiaInstitute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Tatarstan, RussiaDepartment of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USADepartment of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala 147004, Punjab, IndiaSince the inception of the ebolavirus in 1976, 32 outbreaks have resulted in nearly 15,350 deaths in more than ten countries of the African continent. In the last decade, the largest (2013–2016) and second largest (2018–2020) ebolavirus outbreaks have occurred in West Africa (mainly Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, respectively. The 2013–2016 outbreak indicated an alarming geographical spread of the virus and was the first to qualify as an epidemic. Hence, it is imperative to halt ebolavirus progression and develop effective countermeasures. Despite several research efforts, ebolaviruses’ natural hosts and secondary reservoirs still elude the scientific world. The primary source responsible for infecting the index case is also unknown for most outbreaks. In this review, we summarize the history of ebolavirus outbreaks with a focus on etiology, natural hosts, zoonotic reservoirs, and transmission mechanisms. We also discuss the reasons why the African continent is the most affected region and identify steps to contain this virus.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/2/248ebolavirus outbreaksebolavirus reservoirsebolavirus transmissionebolavirus in Africa |
| spellingShingle | Sahil Jain Svetlana Khaiboullina Ekaterina Martynova Sergey Morzunov Manoj Baranwal Epidemiology of Ebolaviruses from an Etiological Perspective Pathogens ebolavirus outbreaks ebolavirus reservoirs ebolavirus transmission ebolavirus in Africa |
| title | Epidemiology of Ebolaviruses from an Etiological Perspective |
| title_full | Epidemiology of Ebolaviruses from an Etiological Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Epidemiology of Ebolaviruses from an Etiological Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epidemiology of Ebolaviruses from an Etiological Perspective |
| title_short | Epidemiology of Ebolaviruses from an Etiological Perspective |
| title_sort | epidemiology of ebolaviruses from an etiological perspective |
| topic | ebolavirus outbreaks ebolavirus reservoirs ebolavirus transmission ebolavirus in Africa |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/2/248 |
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