[Effect of inactivated Ebola virus on colony forming activity of human hematopoietic stem cells]

The effect of Ebola virus antigen on the growth of hemopoietic precursors was studied. Incubation of mononuclear cells with the viral antigen led to a dose-dependent decrease of erythroid colony formation but did not alter the growth of the granulocyto-macrophagal precursors. Hence, Ebola virus antigen is capable of directly affecting the hemopoietic activity of precursors in man by inhibiting the growth of erythroid colonies.