US Study finds Ebola Survivors suffer Long-term Brain Health Problems

Although Ebola outbreak has been declared over, many people who survived the fatal infection may have long-term brain health problems, warned a new study. It has been found that survivors who were successfully treated for Ebola were found having health issues, such as headaches, memory loss, vision problems and infected semen, even after six months.

Researchers from the United States found that many Ebola outbreak survivors experienced these common symptoms, while in some cases, the patients were suicidal. The new findings have come following a statement by London’s Royal Free Hospital where it said that a British nurse, named Pauline Cafferkey, has been hospitalized for treatment for a ‘late complication’ from the deadly disease.

According to the hospital, Cafferkey has been treated for the complication since contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone where she worked as a nurse during the epidemic. The 40-year-old woman from South Lanarkshire was at the Save the Children treatment centre in Sierra Leone in December 2014.

For the study, researchers from the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke examined 82 Ebola survivors from Liberia. It was found that most of the participants had ‘neurologic abnormality’ even 180 days after they became infected.

“Around two thirds of the group, which had an average age of 35, had body weakness, while half suffered headaches and memory loss. Two people were suicidal and one suffered hallucinations”, as per the study.

The researcher also found that some survivors also had abnormal eye movements and tremors. To get results, the study presented at the annual meeting of American Academy of Neurology considered a wider research into long-term health effects of Ebola.

Over 17,000 individuals survived the Ebola outbreak that killed many people in West Africa. As per estimations, more than 11,000 people lost their lives during the outbreak.