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Filoviruses cause outbreaks which lead to high fatality in humans and non-human primates, thus tagging them as major threats to public health and species conservation. Since the discovery of Marburg virus and Ebola virus in 1967 and 1976, respectively, more than 40 filovirus disease outbreaks have been reported; majority of which have occurred in Africa.
Filoviruses are non-segmented negative-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the family Filoviridae in the order Mononegavirales, and are genetically, morphologically, physio-chemically and biologically distinct from other members of the order Mononegavirales. There are currently five genera in the filovirus family: Ebolavirus, Marburgvirus, Cuevavirus, Striavirus, and Thamnovirus, with the proposal of a sixth genus, Dianlovirus. The Marburgvirus genus comprise of a single species: Marburg marburgvirus, with Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV) as members.
The Ebolavirus genus consists of six species: Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Tai Forest ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, Bundibugyo ebolavirus, and Bombali ebolavirus, with Ebola virus (EBOV), Sudan virus (SUDV), Taï Forest virus (TAFV), Reston virus (RESTV), Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), and Bombali virus (BOMV) as the respective members, of which EBOV is considered to be the most virulent.
Marburg virus was first recognized in 1967, when outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever occurred simultaneously in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). Thirty-one people became ill, initially laboratory workers followed by several medical personnel and family members who had cared for them.
Ravn virus (today abbreviated RAVV, but then considered identical to Marburg virus) was first described in 1987 and is named after a 15-years old Danish boy who fell ill and died from it. The name Ravn virus is derived from Ravn (the name of the Danish patient from whom this virus was first isolated).
The species has a single virus member, Lloviu virus. The only other virus apart from Lyssaviruses which has been reported as a possibly deadly agent for bats is the Lloviu filovirus. While virus-related bat population declines are considered to be infrequent, the emergence of LLOV as the presumed causative agent of mass mortality events among Schreiber's bats (Miniopterus schreibersii) highlights the risk of viral infections for bats.
Xīlǎng virus (XILV) is the only classified striavirus. Like thamnoviruses, but unlike cuevaviruses, dianloviruses, ebolaviruses, and marburgviruses, striaviruses appear to infect fish. Notably, striavirus genomes contain nine gene overlaps, encode at least three proteins without obvious homologs in other filovirus genera, and do not encode ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex-associated protein (VP24).
Huángjiāo virus (HUJV) is the only classified thamnovirus. Like striaviruses, but unlike cuevaviruses, dianloviruses, ebolaviruses, and marburgviruses, thamnoviruses apparently infect fish. Notably, thamnovirus genomes encode at least one protein without obvious homologs in other filovirus genera and do not encode matrix protein (VP40) or ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex-associated protein (VP24).
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