
==== Front
medRxiv
MEDRXIV
medRxiv
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

10.1101/2024.08.29.24312780
preprint
1
Article
Clinical health outcomes of Ebola virus disease survivors eight years post recovery: a cross-sectional study in Sierra Leone
Schindell Brayden G. http://orcid.org/0009-0005-8000-1998

Titanji Boghuma K.
Rimoin Anne W.
Shaw Souradet Y.
Kangbai Jia B.
Kindrachuk Jason http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3305-7084

29 8 2024
2024.08.29.24312780https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
http://medrxiv.org/lookup/doi/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312780
nihpp-2024.08.29.24312780.pdf
Abstract

Background

The West African Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic that occurred between 2013-2016 resulted in >28,000 confirmed cases and >11,000 fatalities. Thousands of survivors necessitate an understanding of the long-term health effects and future medical needs of these patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 595 EVD survivors from Sierra Leone and 403 close contacts ( n =998). An in-person survey conducted between November 2021 and March 2022 included demographics, clinical health symptomology assessment of each organ system and a reproductive health assessment including sexual dysfunction question sets. The frequency of each disorder was examined and the association of each disorder with EVD survival was assessed.

Results

Of 12 number of symptom types, five were reported by >50% of EVD survivors (Ocular, Neurological, Constitutional, Genitourinary, Dermatological), and all but one were reported by >40% of EVD survivors. Symptom types associated with EVD survival included ENT symptoms (AOR: 8.75, 95% CI: 5.63 – 13.60, p < 0.001), ocular symptoms (AOR: 7.18, 95% CI: 5.02 – 10.25, p < 0.001), dermatological symptoms (AOR: 4.16, 95% CI: 3.06 – 5.65, p < 0.001) and cardiovascular symptoms (AOR: 2.96, 95% CI: 2.12 – 4.13, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The West Africa EVD epidemic resulted in a high prevalence of persistent health issues among disease survivors. Continued support for survivor services in West Africa is crucial, and future outbreak response planning should include dedicated funding to ensure adequate care for survivors, both during the acute phase of infection and throughout the post recovery period.
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