Filoviridae Characteristics

+ Genome - ssRNA, negative polarity, linear, no poly-A tails, not capped, 19.1 kb (largest negative strand RNA virus).
+ Capsid - enveloped, helical in symmetry, long filamentous shape, constant diameter of 80 nm, hollow axial channel (20 nm), helical periodicity every 10 nm (approximately)
+ Proteins - 7 associated structural and regulatory proteins + Envelope - contains virally encoded glycoprotein spikes
+ EM Morphology - filaments, circles, Us, 6s, 9s
+ Replication - in the cytoplasm
+ Virulence - up to 88% mortality (Zaire outbreak)
+ Biosafety level - P-4 containment
+ Ecology - Africa
+ Epidemiology - Man is incidental host
+ Transmission - often associated with body fluid contact. No known reservoir or host.

+ The genus Filovirus can be separated into two distinct species, Marburg and Ebola. These differ in their glycoprotein genes by at least 55% at the DNA level and by 67% at the amino acid level. While different subspecies (genotypes) have not been qualified for Marburg, many are described for Ebola, including: Ebola Sudan, Ebola Zaire, Ebola Reston, and Ebola Cote D'Ivoire. Each of these subspecies differs from heterlogous types by 37% - 41% at the DNA level (GP gene) and by 34% - 43% at the amino acid (GP) level.

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Last modified: Sun Mar 5 20:37:48 PST 2000