In the context of filovirus infections, which cells are presumed to be the earliest infected?

The earliest cells presumed to be infected during a filovirus infection, such as Ebola or Marburg virus, are lymphocytes. This is based on the understanding of the virus's initial interactions with the immune system.

When filoviruses enter the body, they are often first encountered by the immune cells, including lymphocytes, which are key components of the adaptive immune response. These cells express specific receptors that the virus can exploit for entry. Infection of lymphocytes plays a significant role in the virus's ability to disseminate through the body, as these cells can travel via the bloodstream to various tissues, allowing the virus to spread quickly and establish an infection.

In contrast, erythrocytes (red blood cells), neutrophils (a type of white blood cell involved in the innate immune response), and platelets (cell fragments involved in clotting) do not serve as primary targets for the virus at the initial stage of infection. These cells either lack the necessary receptors for the virus's entry, or their role in the immune response does not provide the ideal environment for the virus to use for propagation early in the infection process. Thus, the focus on lymphocytes as the earliest infected cells highlights their vulnerability and the importance of the immune system's