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Information ⬇

High concentrations of virus in blood can be documented by antigen-capture ELISA, virus isolation, or RT-PCR. Other diagnoses that must be excluded (as they closely mimic infection with Ebola or Marburg virus) include other VHF (particularly yellow fever), falciparum malaria, typhoid fever, and gram-negative septicemia.

Treatment: Ebola and Marburg Virus Infections

  • Any treatment must be administered under increased safety precautions by experienced specialists using appropriate personal protective equipment (e.g., gowns, gloves, shoe covers, face shields) to prevent further transmission.
  • Treatment of filovirus infections is entirely supportive as no efficacious virus-specific therapy is available.
  • Several experimental therapies, including vaccines, are currently being evaluated and have demonstrated some promise in small-scale studies.

For a more detailed discussion, see Jackson AC: Rabies and Other Rhabdovirus Infections, Chap. 232, p. 1299; Kuhn JH, Peters CJ: Arthropod-Borne and Rodent-Borne Virus Infections, Chap. 233, p. 1304; and Kuhn JH: Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus Infections, Chap. 234, p. 1323, in HPIM-19.

Outline ⬆

Section 7. Infectious Diseases