Pathophysiology of Ebola Virus Infection: Current Challenges and Future Hopes

The filoviruses, Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV), are among the deadliest viruses that cause disease in humans, with reported case fatality rates of up to 90% in some outbreaks. The high virulence of EBOV and MARV is largely attributed to the ability of these viruses to interfere with the host immune response. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or postexposure therapeutics, and treatment options for patients infected with EBOV are limited to supportive care. In this review, we discuss mechanisms of EBOV pathogenesis and its ability to subvert host immunity as well as several vaccines and therapeutics with respect to their evaluation in small animal models, nonhuman primates, and human clinical trials.