Filoviruses, viral family Filoviridae, can cause hemorrhagic fever in humans and primates. There are three known genera of filoviruses: Cuevavirus, Marburgvirus, and Ebolavirus. These further subdivide into six species: Zaire, Sudan, Tai Forest, Bundibugyo, Reston, and Bombali. Thus far, the Reston and Bombali strains are not known to cause disease in humans.[1]
Structurally, filoviruses obtained their name due to their macroscopic appearance as filamentous viruses, from the Latin filum for "thread," often having a stringlike or torus-like appearance. They have enveloped particles that contain a negative-sense single-stranded RNA genome with genes arranged linearly. Additionally, they have a single glycoprotein spike on the surface and four structural proteins which include the virus-encoded polymerase. Filoviruses are highly contagious and spread quickly via human-human contact. They are considered biosafety level 4 agents with very high mortality rates.
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