Although Ebola virus VP35 is known to inhibit RIG-I-mediated type I IFN response through a dsRNA-binding-dependent mechanism, a dsRNA substrate bound by VP35 during a viral infection had not been demonstrated before and in this study we provide evidence that VP35 binds RNA species recognized by RIG-I which may serve to mask immune activation following viral infection. This evidence concerns the gene RIGI and viral infectious disease.