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Last reviewed: 12 Nov 2024
Last updated: 04 Oct 2024
04 Oct 2024

Renaming of Ebola virus species

The genus name Ebolavirus has been changed to Orthoebolavirus by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).

The change was triggered by nomenclatural confusion in recent years whereby the genus name Ebolavirus (which included six species of virus) was being confused with Ebola virus, the virus name for the Zaire ebolavirus species.

The Orthoebolavirus genus now consists of the following renamed species:

  • Orthoebolavirus zairense (formerly known as Zaire ebolavirus)

  • Orthoebolavirus sudanense (formerly known as Sudan ebolavirus)

  • Orthoebolavirus taiense (formerly known as Tai Forest ebolavirus)

  • Orthoebolavirus bundibugyoense (formerly known as Bundibugyo ebolavirus)

  • Orthoebolavirus restonense (formerly known as Reston ebolavirus)

  • Orthoebolavirus bombaliense (formerly known as Bombali ebolavirus).

Virus names remain unchanged and valid.

Original source of update

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • exposure to an orthoebolavirus in previous 21 days
  • fever
  • myalgia
  • conjunctival injection

Other diagnostic factors

  • fatigue
  • anorexia
  • diarrhea
  • vomiting
  • severe headache
  • abdominal pain or heartburn
  • cough, dyspnea, chest pain
  • sore throat
  • prostration
  • tachypnea
  • maculopapular rash
  • bleeding
  • hepatomegaly
  • lymphadenopathy
  • hiccups
  • tachycardia
  • hypotension
  • neurologic signs

Risk factors

  • living or working in, or arrival from, endemic area in previous 21 days
  • contact with infected body fluids
  • occupational exposure
  • butchering or consumption of meat from infected (or potentially infected) animals
  • bioterrorism

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
  • malaria investigations

Tests to consider

  • serum electrolyte levels
  • BUN/serum creatinine
  • blood lactate
  • ABG
  • CBC
  • coagulation studies
  • urinalysis
  • LFTs
  • serum amylase level
  • blood cultures
  • serum blood glucose
  • antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
  • IgM and IgG antibodies
  • chest x-ray

Emerging tests

  • rapid diagnostic tests

Treatment algorithm

Contributors

Authors

Catherine F. Houlihan, MSc, MB ChB, MRCP, DTM&H

Clinical Lecturer

University College London

Honorary Clinical Lecturer

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

London

UK

Disclosures

CFH has been on a scientific advisory board for Valneva regarding Chikungunya vaccines.

Manuel Fenech, MD, MRCP, DTM&H

Specialist Trainee in Infectious Diseases

Royal Liverpool University Hospital

Liverpool

UK

Disclosures

MF declares that he has no competing interests.

Tom E. Fletcher, MBE, MBChB, MRCP, DTM&H

Wellcome Trust/MoD Research Fellow

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Liverpool

UK

Disclosures

TEF is an author of a number of references cited in this monograph. TEF is a consultant/expert panel member to the World Health Organization, and is funded by the UK Surgeon General and the Wellcome Trust. TEF has received research grants from the Medical Research Council and the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST).

Acknowledgements

Dr Catherine F. Houlihan, Dr Manuel Fenech, and Dr Tom E. Fletcher would like to thank Dr Nicholas J. Beeching, a previous contributor to this topic, and Dr Colin Brown (Infectious Disease Lead, Kings Sierra Leone Partnership) for his helpful comments and insights.

Disclosures

NJB was partially supported by the National Institute of Health Research Health Protection Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at the University of Liverpool and Public Health England. NJB is an author of references cited in this topic. CB declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

William A. Petri, Jr, MD, PhD, FACP

Wade Hampton Frost Professor of Epidemiology

Professor of Medicine, Microbiology, and Pathology

Chief

Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health

University of Virginia

Charlottesville

VA

Disclosures

WAP declares that he has no competing interests.

Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FSHEA

Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology

UT Health Medical School

Medical Director of Epidemiology

Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center

Houston

TX

Disclosures

LO-Z declares that he has no competing interests.

Stephen Mepham, MRCP (UK), FRCPATH, DTM&H, MD

Consultant in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

London

UK

Disclosures

SM declares that he has no competing interests.

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