Abstract:
An unprecedented outbreak of the Ebola virus in 2014 claimed more than 1000 lives in West Africa and the
World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency. This outbreak will undoubtedly promote
additional research related to the Ebola virus and will create debate related to experimental drugs. This article
identified the quantum of research in the field since 1991; the scientific disciplines that contributed to the
field; the countries, organisations and authors that supported such research and the most cited articles.
An increasing trend in annual production during 1991–2013 was observed. Journal of Virology, Journal
of Infectious Diseases, and Virology were the three most productive journals in the field. Similarly, the
field of virology dominated the 73 categories in which the Ebola research was classified. A total of 63
countries contributed to Ebola-related research, led by the USA. The most productive institutions were the
United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. African countries were more likely
to be involved in international collaboration than independent research. The most influential article exhibited
a notable citation pattern and presented global trends in emerging infectious diseases.
