Ebola virus disease (EVD): clinical features

Written and reviewed by Dr Ibrahim Imam, Consultant Neurologist. Last reviewed .

Ebola virus disease (EVD): clinical features. Ebola is an RNA filovirus. Bats are its main reservoirs. Fully referenced neurology checklist.

Virology and pathology of EVD

  • Ebola is an RNA filovirus
  • Bats are its main reservoirs
  • The virus is excreted in all body fluids
  • The incubation period is 2-21 days: it is usually 4-10 days
  • It demonstrates viral persistence: this causes relapse of infection
  • Patients with Niemann-Pick disease are resistant to the virus

Transmission

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Neurological features

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Haemorrhagic features

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Systemic features

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Post Ebola syndrome

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Differential diagnosis

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References

  1. Billioux BJ, Smith B, Nath A. Neurological complications of Ebola virus infection. Neurotherapeutics 2016; 13:461-470. 
  2. Martínez MJ, Salim AM, Hurtado JC, Kilgore PE. Ebola virus infection: overview and update on prevention and treatment. Infect Dis Ther 2015; 4:365-390. 
  3. de Greslan T, Billhot M, Rousseau C, et al. Ebola virus-related encephalitis. Clin Infect Dis 2016; 63:1076-1078.
  4. Chertow DS, Nath A, Suffredini AF, et al. Severe meningoencephalitis in a case of Ebola virus disease: a case report. Ann Intern Med 2016; 165:301-304.
  5. Fischer WA 2nd, Uyeki TM, Tauxe RV. Ebola virus disease: what clinicians in the United States need to know. Am J Infect Control 2015; 43:788-793.
  6. And 8 more. Subscribe to see the full list

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