Owing to numerous problems of controlling viral diseases 
many African medicinal plants have been screened for their 
antiviral activity. A review of studies on this shows that 58 
plant species had in-vitro antiviral properties against viruses 
belonging to the families Herpesviridae (20), Flaviviridae 
(15), Retroviridae (11), Picornaviridae (8), Hepadnaviridae 
(2) and Paramyxoviridae (2). Some phytochemical 
compounds isolated from six of the 58 plants showed 
significant antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus 
types 1 and 2, coxsackie B type 1, poliovirus type 1, yellow 
fever virus, dengue virus and human immunodeficiency virus 
type 1. Further work on the compounds is required for drug 
development and more plants should be screened for activity 
not only against members of the Hepadnaviridae and 
Paramyxoviridae, but including the currently ravaging Ebola 
virus.