The Ebola virus that is responsible for the current outbreak in Sierra Leone has increased in genetic diversity since its initial introduction to the region, according to a large-scale genetic study in Nature this week. This information provides an insight into how the Ebola virus has evolved, which may facilitate efforts to control or prevent infections and could also guide research on new treatments.
Research has suggested that variation in the Ebola virus genome may potentially impact the effectiveness of candidate treatments or attempts to detect the virus. To learn more about how the current Ebola virus is evolving, Wu-Chun Cao and colleagues analysed 175 Ebola virus genome sequences collected from five districts in Sierra Leone during September to November 2014, following a rapid growth of the outbreak. They find that the genetic diversity of the virus has increased substantially, with the emergence of several novel lineages. They note that the rate of virus evolution seems to be similar to that observed during previous Ebola virus outbreaks.
The authors conclude that on-going extensive Ebola virus surveillance in West Africa offers a valuable resource for understanding more about the current outbreak, which could help to improveintervention methods.
ARTICLE DETAILS
DOI: 10.1038/nature14490
Corresponding Author:
Wu-Chun Cao
State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing, China