Filovirus Virus

Filoviruses are a family of viruses typically characterized by their filamentous or tubular shape (Martines et al., 2014). Each virion contains an envelope, capsid, and matrix, and uses negative-sense RNA to encode their genome (Martines et al., 2014). Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus are two types of viral hemorrhagic filoviruses, meaning they affect their hosts by causing fevers and internal and external bleeding (Stock, 2014). Marburgvirus obtained its name from the town of Marburg, Germany, where the first cases of Marburgvirus were documented in 1967 (Martines et al., 2014). In that year, 31 people were diagnosed with Marburgvirus in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany, and Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Martines et al., 2014). In 1976, there was an outbreak of a supposed new strain of Marburgvirus by the Ebola River in the Central African state of Zaire, which is currently known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Martines et al., 2014). This new strain of Marburgvirus was then determined to be a completely new viral

Filoviruses have an incubation period lasting 2 to 21 days after initial viral exposure, where infected hosts are typically asymptomatic (Martines et al., 2014). Early symptoms are rather flu-like, with fevers, chills, and general feelings of illness and uneasiness (Martines et al., 2014). As the infection progresses, the symptoms become more severe, with patients having a decreased appetite, becoming nauseous, having headaches, sore throats, abdominal pain, diarrhea, coughing, and vomiting (Martines et al., 2014). In 30 to 50 percent of infected individuals, external and internal hemorrhaging have been observed, with mucosal bleeding and flat, discolored spots on the surface the skin called a malcupapular rash (Martines et al.,