title: Post-exposure treatment of Ebola virus using passive immunotherapy: proposal for a new strategy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Better treatments are urgently needed for the management of Ebola virus epidemics in Equatorial Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the use of passive immunotherapy for the treatment or prevention of Ebola virus disease. We placed findings from this review into the context of passive immunotherapy currently used for venom-induced disease, and recent improvements in manufacturing of polyvalent antivenom products.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Passive immunotherapy appears to be one of the most promising specific treatments for Ebola. However, its potential has been incompletely evaluated, considering the overall experience and recent improvement of immunotherapy. Development and use of heterologous serum derivatives could protect people exposed to Ebola viruses with reasonable cost and logistics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperimmune equine IgG fragments and purified polyclonal whole IgG deserve further consideration as treatment for exposure to the Ebola virus.
authors.affiliation: UMR 216, Mother and Child Facing Tropical Diseases, Research Institute for Development (IRD), Cotonou, Benin, and School of Pharmacy, Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France ; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 08 BP 841 Cotonou, Bénin.
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chippaux
authors.affiliation: Venom Immunochemistry, Pharmacology and Emergency Response (VIPER) Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona USA.
authors.forename: Leslie V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos Mexico.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alagón
keywords: Africa; Ebola; Epidemics; Immunotherapy; Prophylaxis