title: [Ebola hemorrhagic fever: Properties of the pathogen and development of vaccines and chemotherapeutic agents].
abstract: Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) epidemic currently ongoing in West Africa is not the first among numerous epidemics in the continent. Yet it seems to be the worst EHF epidemic outbreak caused by Ebola virus Zaire since 1976 as regards its extremely large scale and rapid spread in the population. Experiments to study the agent have continued for more than 20 years. The EHF virus has a relatively simple genome with seven genes and additional reading frame resulting from RNA editing. While being of a relatively low genetic capacity, the virus can be ranked as a standard for pathogenicity with the ability to evade the host immune response in uttermost perfection. The EHF virus has similarities with retroviruses, but belongs to (-)RNA viruses of a nonretroviral origin. Genetic elements of the virus, NIRV, were detected in animal and human genomes. EHF virus glycoprotein (GP) is a class I fusion protein and shows more similarities than distinctions in tertiary structure with SIV and HIV gp41 proteins and even influenza virus hemagglutinin. EHF is an unusual infectious disease, and studying the molecular basis of its pathogenesis may contribute to new findings in therapy of severe conditions leading to a fatal outcome.
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: O I
authors: OI
authors: Kiselev
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.|St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251 Russia.|vasin@influenza.spb.ru.
authors: A V
authors: AV
authors: Vasin
authors: Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, 127994 Russia.
authors: M P
authors: MP
authors: Shevyryova
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: E G
authors: EG
authors: Deeva
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: K V
authors: KV
authors: Sivak
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: V V
authors: VV
authors: Egorov
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.|Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Moscow, 119991 Russia.
authors: V B
authors: VB
authors: Tsvetkov
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: A Yu
authors: AY
authors: Egorov
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: E A
authors: EA
authors: Romanovskaya-Romanko
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: L A
authors: LA
authors: Stepanova
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: A B
authors: AB
authors: Komissarov
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: L M
authors: LM
authors: Tsybalova
authors: Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
authors: G M
authors: GM
authors: Ignatjev
keywords: Ebola virus; antiviral drugs; genome; hemorrhagic fever; interferon antagonists; vaccines