The top stories and research updates on Ebola, Marburg, and other Filoviridae insights curated by Global Biodefense.
This Filovirus Focus spotlight includes a look back 10 years after the world’s largest Ebola outbreak in west Africa, the importance of reporting negative vaccine trial data, the promise of obeldesivir for Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), and efforts to repurpose SARS-CoV-2 compounds against Marburg.
LATEST NEWS
Gilead Antiviral Drug Shows Promise as a Treatment for Ebola Sudan
A new study suggests the antiviral drug obeldesivir may be effective in curing Ebola Sudan infections, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments. Scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston tested the drug, made by Gilead, in primates, starting treatment 24 hours after the animals were given what should have been a lethal dose of Sudan ebolavirus by intramuscular injection. STAT, Science
Five Key Questions for an Ebola Expert
Never had Ebola outbreaks happened in so many countries at the same time. The virus spread in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, but there were also cases in Senegal, Mali, and Nigeria. It was also the first time that Western countries, like Italy, Spain, the UK, and the United States, had cases of Ebola. On the 10-year anniversary of the outbreak, renowned Ebola expert Dr. Michel Van Herp looks back at the biggest Ebola outbreak ever and answers five key questions. Médecins Sans Frontières
A Decade Later, Liberians Remember Those Who Died in Ebola Outbreak
The Ebola outbreak killed some 11,000 people mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to the United Nations. Liberia was declared free of the virus in 2016, after almost 5,000 deaths. The second Wednesday of March in Liberia, National Decoration Day, is always one of remembrance and people gathered this year at a memorial site where many victims of the virus were buried outside the capital, Monrovia. AP
Advances and Challenges in African Epidemic Preparedness
Most strains of Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus are yet to have effective vaccines approved by major regulators. There are also contextual factors that impede response efforts, including insecurity and conflict, as was seen during the 2018–20 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in North Kivu and Ituri, DRC, when treatment centers were attacked and the presence of armed groups alongside displaced populations and general distrust in the government challenged response efforts. The Lancet
Summary of WHO Infection Prevention and Control Guideline for Ebola and Marburg Disease
The World Health Organisation (WHO) published a new infection prevention and control (IPC) guideline for both diseases in August 2023, which replaces those issued in 2014 and 2016. This article summarizes the process involved in developing the updated guideline and includes an infographic to highlight key IPC recommendations from the guideline, following the patient care pathway from the community to a healthcare facility to discharge. The BMJ

JOURNAL WATCH
Marburg Antibody with Potentials of Broad-Spectrum Neutralization to Filovirus
No antibody has yet been approved for Marburg virus treatment to date. This study identified a high-affinity anti-MARV antibody AF-03 targeting a conserved and hidden site at the filovirus GPcl-NPC1 interface, neutralizing MARV infection both in vitro and in vivo. AF-03 may also be a confer pan-filovirus protection. eLife
A Glass-Half-Full Perspective on Negative Data in Ebolavirus Vaccine Studies
While at face value negative research results may appear disappointing, the data generated by studies demonstrating vaccine failure are of equal importance and value as those demonstrating protection. For example, a comparison of epitope-targeting profiles between vaccines with identical immunogens but disparate protective outcomes may increase the resolution of correlates of protection beyond measurements of magnitude. It is our hope that the research community continues to encourage the publication of such studies. The Journal of Infectious Diseases
Phase 2 Study of the MVA-BN-Filo Vaccine Plus Ad26.ZEBOV Booster
Looking at long-term immunogenicity, a similar and robust humoral immune response was observed for participants boosted 1 year and 2 years after the first dose, supporting the use of the regimen and flexibility of booster dose administration for prophylactic vaccination in at-risk populations. The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Domestic Pig Population Exposure to Ebola Viruses, Guinea
Although pigs are naturally susceptible to Reston virus and experimentally to Ebola virus (EBOV), their role in Orthoebolavirus ecology remains unknown. This study further emphasizes the need to deepen monitoring in areas of high seroprevalence in pigs and further evaluate filovirus pathogenicity for pigs and human. Bats have long been considered the most likely suspects, but more attention must be paid to peridomestic micromammals, such as rodents, which could serve as links between the village where they find subsistence and wildlife in the forest. Pigs might be infected by their contaminated urine and feces. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Clinical Lab Equipment Manufacturers’ Lack of Guidance for High Consequence Pathogen Response is a Critical Weakness
CLE need to safely evaluate specimens that may contain a high consequence pathogen without voiding the manufacturer’s warranty or impacting subsequent use for routine clinical care. It is important for CLE manufacturers to provide this guidance because the CDC defers to the manufacturers in high consequence pathogen scenarios. Clinical laboratories and healthcare settings must have easy—preferably online—access to manufacturers for prompt responses to questions regarding warranties, contracts, and decontamination policies. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
Repurposing of SARS-CoV-2 Compounds Against Marburg Virus
Drug repurposing using in silico methods has been crucial in identifying potential compounds that could prevent viral replication by targeting the virus’s primary proteins. The study proposes in-vitro experiments as the next step to validate computational findings, offering a practical approach to further explore these compounds’ potential as antiviral agents. Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics
Broad Antibody and T Cell Responses to Ebolaviruses Using Adjuvanted Glycoprotein Vaccines
Currently, there are two approved vaccine regimens designed to prevent EVD. Both are virus-vectored, and concerns about cold-chain storage and pre-existing immunity to the vectors warrant investigating additional vaccine strategies. Here researchers explored adjuvanted recombinant glycoproteins from ebolaviruses Zaire (EBOV), Sudan (SUDV), and Bundibugyo (BDBV) for inducing antibody and T cell cross-reactivity. Antiviral Research
Surrogate Model for Human Ebola Virus Disease in BSL-2 Laboratory
The development of countermeasures against EBOV has been hindered by the lack of ideal animal models, as EBOV requires handling in biosafety level (BSL)-4 facilities. In this study, a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing Ebola virus glycoprotein (VSV-EBOV/GP) was constructed and applied as a surrogate virus, establishing a lethal infection in hamsters. Virological Sinica
Ebola Virus Circulation in a Non-Epidemic Guinean Rural Area: Virological and Anthropological Approaches
This study analyzes the seroprevalence of orthoebolaviruses in a rural population in Madina Oula (Guinea), based on a 1987 outbreak and socio-historical data. Dried blood spots were collected from 878 individuals in 236 households and tested using multiplex serology to detect antibodies to different orthoebolaviruses (Ebola, Bundibugyo, Sudan, Reston and Bombali). In an area unaffected by recent Ebola outbreaks, serological data showed traces of orthoebolavirus circulation, suggesting possible endemicity. This highlights the importance of preparedness for known or novel orthoebolaviruses that may cross-react. The Lancet (pre-print)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Ten years ago, the world was not prepared for the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa. There were no antiviral treatments, and this made it hard to convince sick people to come to the treatment units. There were no vaccines, and so protecting people was limited to trying to convince them to change their behaviour, which years of experience has taught us takes time and often has limited success. This made it difficult to control the outbreak.
Now that there are effective antiviral treatments and vaccines, we can bring to bear important tools for saving lives, preventing illness, and controlling outbreaks, but only if these are fully available for the people who need them. That’s why we are calling for an emergency stockpile.”
Dr. Armand Sprecher, Public Health Specialist at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in an article calling for an emergency stockpile of Ebola treatments ten years after world’s deadliest outbreak.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Sabin Vaccine Institute to Advance Ebola Sudan and Marburg Vaccines with BARDA Funding
- BARDA Funds Development of Patch-Based Ebola Diagnostic
- Stem Cell Research Gives New Clues on Ebola Virus Damage to Organs
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
- 2022: US to begin screening travelers from Uganda for Ebola (PBS)
- 2021: New Ebola outbreak likely sparked by a person infected 5 years ago (Science)
- 2015: Dallas hospital failures during Ebola crisis detailed in new report (Washington Post)
- 2014: U.S. designates 35 hospitals to treat Ebola patients (Washington Post)
- 2014: Cuba leads fight against Ebola in Africa as west frets about border security (The Guardian)
- 2006: Ebola outbreak killed 5000 gorillas (Science)
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