Ebola and Marburg vaccines for Africa: one step closer

In December, 2013, a 2-year-old infant in the village of Meliandou, Guinea would succumb to his illness, followed soon by his sister and mother. His was the first case of an outbreak of Ebola virus disease that continues a year later, having claimed 6915 lives up to Dec 17, 2014, and spread to other countries in west Africa.1 The Ebola and Marburg viruses, both members of the filovirus family, are among the most lethal human pathogens, with recorded case fatality rates as high as 90% and 88%, respectively.2 The present Ebola virus outbreak is a sobering illustration of the devastating health, societal, and economic effects of filovirus outbreaks. The high mortality rate and the absence of effective treatment or a therapeutic cure has driven the quest for an effective vaccine.