How is the Ebola virus different from the influenza virus?

Ebola, Influenza. Infectious agent, EbolaVirus, InfluenzaVirus. Family, EbolaFiloviruses (Ebola viruses, Marburg virus), InfluenzaOrthomyxoviruses (influenza A, B and C and some minor viruses). Origins of infectious agent, EbolaProbably bats, InfluenzaEndemic in humans, also transferred from other animals, e.g. birds, pigs. read more

Avian influenza virus strains preferentially bind to Alpha(2,3) linked sialic acids, which in humans are found on ciliated epithelial cells in the lower respiratory tract, this is probably why avian influenza has limited transmission between people, however because of genetic shift by reassortment influenza genomes can be easily mixed in the case of simultaneous infection with different strains. read more

Flu (influenza) The flu is a common contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. The flu is different from a cold. read more

Seasonal flu: varies widely between groups and hard to quantify (deaths are often put down to complications). H1N1 2009 swine flu pandemic: around 0.02%; 1918 Spanish flu pandemic: 2%; H5N1 avian flu: around 60%. Annual number of deaths: 2014 (end of October): 5,000 (reported number, probably an underestimate). read more