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  • Review Article
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Ebola virus disease in children: epidemiology, pathogenesis, management, and prevention

Abstract

Ebola disease is a severe disease with extremely high case-fatality rates ranging from 28–100%. Observations made during the 2013–2016 West African epidemic improved our understanding of the clinical course of Ebola disease and accelerated the study of therapeutic and preventative strategies. The epidemic also highlighted the unique challenges associated with providing optimal care for children during Ebola disease outbreaks. In this review, we outline current understanding of Ebola disease epidemiology, pathogenesis, management, and prevention, highlighting data pertinent to the care of children.

Impact

In this review, we summarize recent advancements in our understanding of Ebola disease epidemiology, clinical presentation, and therapeutic and preventative strategies. We highlight recent data pertinent to the care of children and pregnant women and identify research gaps for this important emerging viral infection in children.

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All data referenced in this review article are in publicly available published articles and repositories.

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K.R.D. and A.L.: substantial contributions to conception and design; interpretation of literature; drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and final approval of the version to be published. A.E.D.: drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and final approval of the version to be published.

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Dobbs, K.R., Lobb, A. & Dent, A.E. Ebola virus disease in children: epidemiology, pathogenesis, management, and prevention. Pediatr Res 95, 488–495 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-023-02873-y

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