Why Do Ebola Viruses Make Us Bleed?

African Ebola viruses cause a very nasty and deadly disease called hemorrhagic fever. Many other viruses can cause hemorrhagic fever as well however, the really scary thing about Ebola virus is that it routinely kills 90 percent of those infected. Hemorrhagic fevers are viral diseases that start out with a fever, headache, and fatigue. These viruses infect and destroy the cells that line our blood vessels (endothelial cells) causing them to leak blood. Patients with hemorrhagic fever will start having bloody noses, vomiting blood, coughing up blood, and seeing blood in their stools. Losing too much blood is a bad thing and in the case of Ebola virus infection is usually deadly. Right now there is no cure for Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever.

Fortunately, this virus has remained in Africa and very few people acquire this viral infection even in Africa. Unfortunately, no one knows exactly where the Ebola virus comes from even in Africa. There is no cure for this disease and no one knows when and if this virus will spread to other countries. In fact, until recently no one even knew how Ebola viruses caused people to bleed. Researchers in an article in Nature Medicine believe they know how this virus causes blood vessels to leak. Zhi-Yong Yang and Gary Nabel, M.D., Ph.D., of the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC), located on the National Institutes of Health campus (United States) have discovered a glycoprotein (a protein with sugar attached to it) they called GP which is able to destroy endothelial cells.

GP is found on the surface of the Ebola virus. The protein portion of GP helps the virus attach to and infect endothelial cells. Once enough Ebola virus is made in the infected endothelial cell the sugar portion of GP helps the virus get out of the cell by destroying the infected cell. When enough of these cells are destroyed by the virus the blood vessel will start to leak.

Knowing what Ebola viral protein causes destruction of endothelial cells is very important. With this knowledge these scientists were able to show why a particular strain of Ebola virus called Ebola Reston killed monkeys but not humans. The GP protein in Ebola Reston was not the same as GP proteins from Ebola viruses that kill humans. Someday we may be able to stop the damage caused by the Ebola virus GP protein and save lives. Vaccines or antiviral drugs might then be made to interfere with GP and either prevent this nasty infection or cure those who have been infected.

For more information:
News Release on this study.
What is Ebola?

Take Care and Think Microbiologically!

Go To Page: 1

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic