The Ebola virus disease epidemic that struck West Africa throughout 2014 continues to shake the international and public health communities. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness decided to create a Special Issue focused on the Ebola crisis—an essential action for the most significant health crisis of a generation. Two important innovations make this issue of the journal unique. First is that the articles are expeditiously reviewed and published electronically so that information is made available as soon as possible to benefit policy makers and frontline clinicians. Second is that the issue is free access: the articles have been free to responders, planners, and decision makers to optimize the response, save lives, and reduce suffering to the maximum extent possible.

We are pleased to present the first set of articles focused on management of Ebola virus disease in a special print issue for wider circulation in a compact format. We expect the epidemic at some point to come to an end, largely thanks to the results of heroic public health interventions. However, unique data will continue to be important to manage Ebola and future emerging and reemerging infectious diseases (EID) on regional, national, and global levels. The fight against EID is far from over. Electronic publishing of evolving research will continue and will be used to inform evidence-based management of the epidemic. We, as guest editors for the Ebola Special Issue, are honored to have the opportunity to support those on the front lines by inspiring research and providing critical review and analysis from a scholarly perspective. Please take advantage of the knowledge we share in this special Ebola issue and apply it to reduce morbidity and mortality from Ebola virus disease and the next epidemic.