ReviewmBio2015
Transmission of Ebola viruses: what we know and what we do not know.
Review in mBio, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 122 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
122 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Misconceptions and Rumors about Ebola Virus Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- A systematic review of chlorine-based surface disinfection efficacy to inform recommendations for low-resource outbreak settings.American journal of infection control · 2021Pooled it
- Use of personal protective equipment to protect against respiratory infections in Pakistan: A systematic review.Journal of infection and public health · 2020Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Use of personal protective equipment to protect against respiratory infections in Pakistan: A systematic review.Journal of infection and public healthPooled it
- The efficacy of medical masks and respirators against respiratory infection in healthcare workers.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2017Trial
- A cluster randomised trial of cloth masks compared with medical masks in healthcare workers.BMJ open · 2015Trial
- Differential glycosylation in the envelope glycoprotein enhances DC-SIGN-mediated cell entry of the West African Ebolavirus Makona.Emerging microbes & infections · 2026Article
- Estimated Transmissibility and Case Fatality Rate of Bundibugyo Virus, Uganda, 2007.Emerging infectious diseases · 2026Article
- An imported case of Bundibugyo virus infection, France, June 2026.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2026Article
- Infectious medical waste (IMW) and disease transmission: A critical public health challenge in Africa and the global implications - A systematic review.Journal of public health research · 2026Article
- Comparison of Ebola virus infection routes and resulting disease in animal models.Journal of virology · 2026Review
- Ebola virus disease: A persistent challenge in global health security.Open veterinary journal · 2026Review
- In Silico Identification of Antiviral Peptides as Potential Leads Against Sudan Ebolavirus VP-40.BioMed research international · 2026Article
- The Re-Emergence of Bundibugyo Ebolavirus in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo: Epidemiological Drivers, Response Strategies, and Implications for Global Health Security.Infection and drug resistance · 2026Review
- Doffing procedures of personal protective equipment evaluated with lipid nanoparticles as viral surrogates: uncovering potential blind spots.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2025Article
- Ebola Virus Disease: Uniquely Challenging Among the Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers.Open forum infectious diseases · 2025Review
- Virucidal Approaches for Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses.Viruses · 2025Review
- The MAPK Response to Virus Infection Is Modified by Probenecid.Current issues in molecular biology · 2025Review
- Marburg Virus Aerosol Infection in Animal Models.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2025Article
62 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issuedCorrection for Osterholm et al., Transmission of Ebola Viruses: What We Know and What We Do Not Know.2015 · Formenty, Pierre [Deleted]
Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Available evidence demonstrates that direct patient contact and contact with infectious body fluids are the primary modes for Ebola virus transmission, but this is based on a limited number of studies. Key areas requiring further study include (i) the role of aerosol transmission (either via large droplets or small particles in the vicinity of source patients), (ii) the role of environmental contamination and fomite transmission, (iii) the degree to which minimally or mildly ill persons transmit infection, (iv) how long clinically relevant infectiousness persists, (v) the role that "superspreading events" may play in driving transmission dynamics, (vi) whether strain differences or repeated serial passage in outbreak settings can impact virus transmission, and (vii) what role sylvatic or domestic animals could play in outbreak propagation, particularly during major epidemics such as the 2013-2015 West Africa situation. In this review, we address what we know and what we do not know about Ebola virus transmission. We also hypothesize that Ebola viruses have the potential to be respiratory pathogens with primary respiratory spread.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.