Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Laboratory detection and diagnosis of filoviruses

  • Published:
Virologica Sinica

Abstract

Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV), belonging to the Filoviridae family, emerged four decades ago and caused severe viral hemorrhagic fever in human and other primates. As high as 50–90% mortality, filoviruses can cause significant threats to public health. However, so far no specific and efficient vaccine has been available, nor have other treatment methods proved to be effective. It is of great importance to detect these pathogens specific, rapidly and sensitively in order to control future filovirus outbreaks. Here, recent progresses in the development of detection and diagnosis methods for EBOV and MARV are summarized.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Drosten C, Gottig S, Schilling S, et al. 2002. Rapid detection and quantification of RNA of Ebola and Marburg viruses, Lassa virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Rift Valley fever virus, Dengue virus, and Yellow fever virus by real-time reverse transcription-PCR. J Clin Microbiol, 40(7): 2323–2330.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Geisbert T W, Jaax N K. 1998. Marburg hemorrhagic fever: Report of a case studied by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Ultrastruct Pathol, 22(1): 3–17.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Geisbert T W, Jahrling P B. 1990. Use of immunoelectron microscopy to show ebola virus during the 1989 united-states epizootic. J Clin Pathol, 43(10): 813–816.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Geisbert T W, Jahrling P B. 1995. Differentiation of filoviruses by electron microscopy. Virus Res, 39(2–3): 129–150.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Geisbert T W, Jahrling P B, Hanes M A, et al. 1992. Association of ebola-related reston virus-particles and antigen with tissue lesions of monkeys imported to the united-states. J Comp Pathol, 106(2): 137–152.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Geisbert T W, Rhoderick J B, Jahrling P B. 1991. Rapid identification of ebola virus and related filoviruses in fluid specimens using indirect immunoelectron microscopy. J Clin Pathol, 44(6): 521–522.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Gibb T R, Norwood D A, Woollen N, et al. 2001. Development and evaluation of a fluorogenic 5′-nuclease assay to identify Marburg virus. Mol Cell Probes, 15(5): 259–266.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Gibb T R, Norwood D A, Woollen N, et al. 2001. Development and evaluation of a fluorogenic 5′ nuclease assay to detect and differentiate between Ebola virus subtypes Zaire and Sudan. J Clin Microbiol, 39(11): 4125–4130.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Grolla A, Lucht A, Dick D, et al. 2005. Laboratory diagnosis of Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fever. Bull Soc Pathol Exot, 98(3): 205–209.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hoenen T, Groseth A, Falzarano D, et al. 2006. Ebola virus: unravelling pathogenesis to combat a deadly disease. Trends Mol Med, 12(5): 206–215.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ikegami T, Niikura M, Saijo M, et al. 2003. Antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for specific detection of Reston Ebola virus nucleoprotein. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol, 10(4): 552–557.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Jahrling P B, Geisbert T W, Dalgard D W, et al. 1990. Preliminary-report-isolation of ebola virus from monkeys imported to USA. Lancet, 335(8688): 502–505.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ksiazek T G, Rollin P E, Jahrling P B, et al. 1992. Enzyme immunosorbent-assay for ebola virus-antigens in tissues of infected primates. J Clin Microbiol, 30(4): 947–950.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ksiazek T G, Rollin P E, Williams A J, et al. 1999. Clinical virology of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF): Virus, virus antigen, and IgG and IgM antibody findings among EHF patients in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1995. J Inf Dis, 179: S177–S187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Ksiazek T G, West C P, Rollin P E, et al. 1999. ELISA for the detection of antibodies to Ebola viruses. J Inf Dis, 179: S192–S198.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Leroy E M, Baize S, Lu C Y, et al. 2000. Diagnosis of Ebola haemorrhagic fever by RT-PCR in an epidemic setting. J Med Virol, 60(4): 463–467.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lucht A, Formenty P, Feldmann H, et al. 2007. Development of an immunofiltration-based antigen-detection assay for rapid diagnosis of Ebola virus infection. J Inf Dis, 196: S184–S192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Lucht A, Grunow R, Möller P, et al. 2003. Development, characterization and use of monoclonal VP40-antibodies for the detection of Ebola virus. J Virol Methods, 111(1): 21–28.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Lucht A, Grunow R, Otterbein C, et al. 2004. Production of monoclonal antibodies and development of an antigen capture ELISA directed against the envelope glycoprotein GP of Ebola virus. Med Microbiol Immunol, 193(4): 181–187.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Mahanty S, Bray M. 2004. Pathogenesis of filoviral haemorrhagic fevers. Lancet Inf Dis, 4(8): 487–498.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Miller S E. 1995. Diagnosis of viral infections by electron microscopy. In: Diagnostic Procedures for Viral, Rickettsial, and Chlamydial Infections (Lennette E H, Lennette D A, Lennette E T. ed.), 7th ed. Washington: American Public Health Association, p37–78.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Niikura M, Ikegami T, Saijo M, et al. 2001. Detection of Ebola viral antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a novel monoclonal antibody to nucleoprotein. J Clin Microbiol, 39(9): 3267–3271.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Panning M, Laue T, Olschlager S, et al. 2007. Diagnostic reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction kit for filoviruses based on the strain collections of all European biosafety level 4 laboratories. J Inf Dis, 196: S199–S204.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Pigott D C. 2005. Hemorrhagic fever viruses. Critical Care Clinics, 21(4): 765.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Reed D S, Mohamadzadeh M. 2007. Status and challenges of filovirus vaccines. Vaccine, 25(11): 1923–1934.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Saijo M, Niikura M, Ikegami T, et al. 2006. Laboratory diagnostic systems for Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers developed with recombinant proteins. Clin Vaccine Immunol, 13(4): 444–451.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Saijo M, Niikura M, Maeda A, et al. 2005. Characterization of monoclonal antibodies to Marburg virus nucleoprotein (NP) that can be used for NP-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. J Med Virol, 76(1): 111–118.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Sanchez A, Ksiazek T G, Rollin P E, et al. 1999. Detection and molecular characterization of Ebola viruses causing disease in human and nonhuman primates. J Inf Dis, 179: S164–S169.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Shahhosseini S, Das D, Qiu X, et al. 2007. Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against different epitopes of Ebola virus antigens. J Virol Methods, 143(1): 29–37.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Sherwood L J, Osborn L E, et al. 2006. Rapid assembly of sensitive antigen-capture assays for Marburg virus, using in vitro selection of llama single-domain antibodies, at biosafety level 4. J Inf Dis, 196: S213–S219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Towner J S, Khristova M L, Sealy T K, et al. 2006. Marburgvirus Genomics and association with a large hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Angola. J Virol, 80(13): 6497–6516.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Towner J S, Rollin P E, Bausch D G, et al. 2004. Rapid diagnosis of Ebola hemorrhagic fever by reverse transcription-PCR in an outbreak setting and assessment of patient viral load as a predictor of outcome. J Virol, 78(8): 4330–4341.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Weidmann M, Muhlberger E, Hufert F T.. 2004. Rapid detection protocol for filoviruses. J Clin Virol, 30(1): 94–99.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Yu J S, Liao H X, Gerdon A E, et al. 2006. Detection of Ebola virus envelope using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies in ELISA, surface plasmon resonance and a quartz crystal microbalance immunosensor. J Virol Methods, 137(2): 219–228.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Zhai J H, Palacios G, Towner J S, et al. 2007. Rapid molecular strategy for filovirus detection and characterization. J Clin Microbiol, 45(1): 224–226.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Zhang J B, Lu X M, Wei H P, et al. 2008. Production and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies to Nucleoprotein of Marburg Virus. Hybridoma, 27(6): 423–429.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hong-ping Wei.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, Yp., Zhang, Xe. & Wei, Hp. Laboratory detection and diagnosis of filoviruses. Virol. Sin. 26, 73–80 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12250-011-3186-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12250-011-3186-9

Key words

Navigation