International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 14 (1), pp. 001-009, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Review

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.

Accepted 12 December, 2024

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.