Virology News

Thousands of persons have survived Ebola virus disease. Almost all survivors describe symptoms that persist or develop after hospital discharge. A cross-sectional survey of the symptoms of all survivors from the Ebola treatment unit (ETU) at 34th Regimental Military Hospital, Freetown, Sierra Leone (MH34), was conducted after discharge at their initial follow-up appointment within 3 weeks after their second negative PCR result. From its opening on December 1, 2014, through March 31, 2015, the MH34 ETU treated 84 persons (8–70 years of age) with PCR-confirmed Ebola virus disease, of whom 44 survived. Survivors reported musculoskeletal pain (70%), headache (48%), and ocular problems (14%). Those who reported headache had had lower admission cycle threshold Ebola PCR than did those who did not (p<0.03). This complete survivor cohort from 1 ETU enables analysis of the proportion of symptoms of post-Ebola syndrome. The Ebola epidemic is waning, but the effects of the disease will remain.

Concern over Ebola becoming endemic in West Africa has appeared in the medical and lay media. Routes of transmission, rates of viral evolution, suitability of humans as hosts and rarity of spillover events make this very unlikely. Without evidence that endemic Ebola is likely, ending epidemics should remain the focus.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- The Ebola virus remains in the bodies of survivors at low levels after recovery, causing symptoms and leaving open the possibility of spreading it, according to three recent studies of survivors in West Africa.

Post-Ebola syndrome continues to affect some of the approximately 17,000 people who survived the virus as many have eye, musculoskeletal or neurological symptoms, researchers have found in recent months.

Ebola has been found in the eyes, semen, spines and brains of survivors for six months or more after recovery. The World Health Organization suggests patients wait at least 90 days after recovery before having sex, or to practice safe sex, because doctors suspect the virus has been spread by sexual contact.