INTRODUCTION
The current 2014-2015 Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak is among the most significant global health threats in recent history. Despite a number of recorded EBOV transmission events dating back approximately four to five decades, the current outbreak is not only devastating locally and regionally but also presents a real possibility of the global spread of this highly lethal disease. The natural history and biology of the virus have previously been described in detail and are beyond the scope of the current review.[12] Critically important to the evolving capability of the global community to effectively respond to outbreaks and epidemics is the ever-growing armamentarium of our collective global knowledge and the ability to practically apply this knowledge. In September 2014, the United Nations (UN) Security Council passed Resolution 2177, which stated that the Ebola outbreak was a threat to world peace under article 39 of the UN Charter. This is the first time that the council determined a health issue to be a threat to world peace.[3]
The purpose of this review is to summarize progress made during the globally supported fight against the current EBOV outbreak, and focus on a number of important new developments, including practical applications of modern information technology tools, coordinated deployment of public health and infrastructure resources, development of more effective and increasingly portable POC testing methods, as well as a general overview of the results of recent therapeutic trials of new vaccines and pharmaceutical agents.