A growing number of Ebola survivors in West Africa, between 5,000 and 10,000, are complaining of side effects months after their recovery – a condition some doctors are calling "post-Ebola Syndrome" (PES), reports Business Day.
About 60% of Ebola patients have died in the current outbreak, typically from shock or organ failure. Some of those who have survived the disease report a mixture of symptoms after their recovery, including vision problems, joint pain, hair and memory loss and anxiety attacks. Doctors say it is not yet clear how long the symptoms last.
There is also no scientific literature or medical consensus on any new syndrome among West African survivors or how many people might be affected. Dan Kelly, founder of the non-profit organisation Wellbody Alliance and a doctor specialising in infectious diseases, says the situation can be complicated by poor medical records making it hard to separate any new symptoms from pre-existing conditions. Ebola, like many severe infections, may also weaken survivors and make other illnesses more likely.
Kelly said some Ebola after-effects appear linked to the infection itself, with some patients developing symptoms similar to so-called autoimmune disorders – where the immune system is over-stimulated and begins to attack the body’s own tissues. Other patients develop symptoms similar to uveitis, he said, an eye inflammation causing blindness. "With post-Ebola syndrome there is an autoimmune response: it's revved up, and we don't really know why," he said.
Ben Neumann, a virologist at Reading University who studies Ebola and other viruses and their effects, notes that Lassa virus, which comes from West Africa and causes a similar disease to Ebola, has also been reported as having longer-term health effects. "(Lassa) survivors often report signs of nerve damage such as loss of hearing," he said, adding that it would be "surprising that something as damaging as Ebola did not have lasting effects".
The current lack of knowledge about post-Ebola health effects is probably "due to Ebola being a rare virus that left few survivors before this outbreak", he said. Some after-effects of Ebola have been reported in previous outbreaks since the disease was first detected in 1976, but past epidemics were smaller and often more deadly, meaning there were fewer survivors to generate interest to warrant research. So this outbreak creates a unique opportunity to learn more.
[link url="http://www.bdlive.co.za/africa/africannews/2015/02/05/free-from-ebola-survivors-complain-of-new-syndrome"]Full Business Day report[/link]