The natural history of Ebola virus in Africa

• Main Authors: Xavier Pourrut, Brice Kumulungui, Tatiana Wittmann, Ghislain Moussavou, André Délicat, Philippe Yaba, Dieudonné Nkoghe, Jean Paul Gonzalez, Eric Maurice Leroy
• Other Authors: Centre International de Recherches Medicales de Franceville
• Format: Review
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Immunology and Microbiology; Medicine
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/16579
• Institution: Mahidol University

Several countries spanning the equatorial forest regions of Africa have had outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever over the last three decades. This article is an overview of the many published investigations of how Ebola virus circulates in its natural environment, focusing on the viral reservoir, susceptible animal species, environmental conditions favoring inter-species transmission, and how the infection is transmitted to humans. Major breakthroughs have been made in recent years but many outstanding questions must be dealt with if we are to prevent human outbreaks by interfering with the viral life cycle. © 2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.