Filoviruses: Ebola & Marburg

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Ebola…even the name sounds sinister. This virus, part of a quartet of filoviruses, is considered more dangerous, and more infectious, than the HIV virus. So why don’t we hear more about Ebola? Its death rate is far higher than any other virus, but most of the world’s population doesn’t even know it exists. Yellow fever is considered a highly infectious disease, yet its death rate of 1/20 is nothing compared to Marburg’s ¼. The truly scary part about that is that Marburg is considered the gentlest and least infectious of the four filovirus sisters. At least three times in the past 40 years, Ebola/Marburg has nearly embarked on a journey that, if it had been completed, would have completely destroyed the human race. Only tiny nuances have saved man from utter destruction, these being so small that most people have no appreciation for them. The causes and effects of the Ebola trio and Marburg are both horrifying and dangerous; the perfect scenario for the end of life as we know it. The Ebola and Marburg filoviruses are unusual, for viruses, at least. While most viruses resemble infinitesimal peppercorns, filoviruses (Latin for ‘thread viruses’) resemble just that, a tangled mass of spaghetti-like threads. Often described as ‘eyebolts’ or the ‘Shepherd’s Crook,’ filoviruses represent a family of four highly infectious and dangerous viruses; Ebola Reston, Marburg, Ebola Sudan, and Ebola Zaire. Thread viruses consist of seven different proteins twisted around a single strand of RNA. Only three of these proteins are understood by humans; the other four are completely unknown. Filoviruses are transmitted through bodily fluids and tissues that have been infected with the virus, and only E. Reston is an airborne agent. Fortunately, E. Reston is the only filovirus that is not infectious to humans. Ebola and Marburg appear to be highly evolved forms of SHF

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