Study Finds Ebola Survivors in Liberia Face Ongoing Health Issues

Survivors of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Liberia had a higher prevalence of certain health issues—including uveitis (eye redness and pain), abdominal, chest, neurologic and musculoskeletal abnormalities upon physical exam—when compared to a control group of household and community members who did not have a history of EVD, according to findings from an ongoing study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, even participants in the control group experienced a relatively high burden of health issues overall.

The study began in 2015 and is following participants for 5 years. It is being conducted by the Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia (PREVAIL), a collaboration between the government of Liberia and NIAID. Additional partners in the study include NEI and NINDS, the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and the Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore. The research is led by principal investigators Dr. Mosoka Fallah, deputy director general for technical services at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, and Dr. Michael Sneller, medical officer at NIAID.

“The PREVAIL study has yielded novel insight regarding the health issues facing some survivors of Ebola virus disease in Liberia and their close contacts,” said NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci. “We thank our partners in the Liberian government for their collaboration in the successful implementation of this study and we thank the study volunteers for their selfless participation in this important research.”