Pulmonary involvement during the Ebola virus disease

Filoviruses have become a worldwide public health concern, especially during the 2013–2016 Western Africa Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak—the largest outbreak, both by number of cases and geographical extension, recorded so far in medical history. EVD is associated with pathologies in several organs, including the liver, kidney, and lung. During the 2013–2016 Western Africa outbreak, Ebola virus (EBOV) was detected in the lung of infected patients suggesting a role in lung pathogenesis. However, little is known about lung pathogenesis and the controversial issue of aerosol transmission in EVD. This review highlights the pulmonary involvement in EVD, with a special focus on the new data emerging from the 2013–2016 Ebola outbreak.