Ebola fever: the African emergency.

The Ebola virus produces one of Africa's most lethal viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) infections. Statistically, Ebola fever is at the bottom of Africa's list of infectious diseases, but the speed with which it induces agonizing death puts Ebola fever at the top of Africa's emergencies. Many aspects of the virus are unknown and have eluded medical scientists for 3 decades. Hence enormous difficulties may be encountered in treating, preventing, and controlling Ebola fever. In this article, the origin of the disease is traced, followed by a description of the Ebola fever triad, with some insights into the perspectives that may complicate treatment and control of the disease. The clinical manifestations are described in relation to the progression of the disease. Patients with the Ebola virus are admitted to the hospital as an emergency with the activation of a disaster-type plan of action.