Ebola virus infection: an overview

Abstract

The current outbreak of the Ebola virus infection in Africa has yet again proven that highly dangerous diseases that are transmitted via the blood-borne route may be endemic in some parts of the world and may emerge as sporadic outbreaks causing worldwide concern. Health care professionals are at the forefront of combatting these diseases and treating infected individuals. Though dental professionals are unlikely to be directly involved in the management of such acute infections, with very high mortality rates, they may encounter patients seeking dental treatment who are either from, or who have recently toured the endemic disease areas. This overview, therefore, is a thumb nail sketch of the Ebola virus infection and its implications for dentistry.