Ebola Virus Still Present In Ebola Survivor 565 Days Post-recovery
Remember Ebola? The deadly outbreak, which started in Guinea in 2014, spread through West Africa, the US, Europe and the UK. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016 declared the last of the countries affected, Liberia, to be Ebola-free.
Ebola can be spread by blood and sexual fluids, as well as through urine, saliva, sweat, feces, and vomit. The fluids have to come into contact with broken skin or mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose, or mouth, in order to infect another person. Ebola virus is known to persist in semen of male survivors of Ebola virus disease (EVD). However, the maximum duration of virus persistence is not known.
A team of CDC researchers published a study describing the persistence of Ebola virus in the semen of a male survivor. Ebola virus was detected in the semen of a 48-year-old Ebola survivor in Liberia 565 days (over 1 and a half years) after his recovery from the disease.
The patient also had a pre-existing HIV infection, which he was managing with treatment. While being treated for Ebola he continued his antiretroviral therapy regimen and was discharged from the Ebola treatment unit after his test came back negative for active Ebola virus infection.
The CDC believes that the patient’s favorable response to the Ebola treatment despite being HIV positive could be linked to his compliance with his antiretroviral therapy regimen and adequate CD4 count.
This highlights the need for patients to continuing their HIV treatment during an outbreak and emphasizes the importance of continuing research on the role that co-infections such as HIV and other causes of immunosuppression might play in the persistence of Ebola virus in survivors.
