. "B CATALOG OF EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASE AGENTS." Emerging Infections: Microbial Threats to Health in the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 1992.
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Emerging Infections: Microbial Threats to Health in the United States
after 3 to 5 days of fever, hemorrhagic manifestations begin
case fatality rate for Marburg virus infection is 25 percent
case fatality rates for Ebola infection have ranged from 50 to 90 percent
DIAGNOSIS
isolation of virus from blood, other tissues, or body fluids
serological detection of antibodies
INFECTIOUS AGENT
Ebola virus
Marburg virus
MODE OF TRANSMISSION
close contact with infected persons or infected blood, tissues, secretions, or excretions
transplacental and venereal transmission have occurred
possibly contact with infected animal vectors (primates)
DISTRIBUTION
Ebola: epidemics have taken place in Sudan and Zaire; virus may be endemic in other parts of Africa; monkeys infected with an Ebola-like virus were imported to the United States from the Philippines in 1989 (no human illness resulted)
Marburg: scattered human cases have occurred in central, eastern, and southern Africa; cases reported in Germany were a result of handling material from infected African green monkeys imported from Uganda
INCUBATION PERIOD AND COMMUNICABILITY
for both virus infections, 5 to 10 days
both viruses can persist in humans for at least 2 months
TREATMENT
supportive only
PREVENTION AND CONTROL
avoidance of contact with infected persons and their blood, other tissues, and body fluids
strict isolation of infected persons
FACTORS FACILITATING EMERGENCE
virus-infected monkeys shipped from developing countries via air
