A latent virus in a patient who survived the Ebola virus disease from the previous outbreak could be responsible for the recent Ebola virus flare-up in Guinea. This is suggested by a study conducted by the Medical University of Tulane University, New Orleans, in the USA and published in Nature.
A new Ebola virus disease outbreak was identified in Guinea in February 2021. The country had previously been declared Ebola-free since the end of the 2013-2016 outbreak.
How viruses are born
di JARED DIAMOND e NATHAN WOLFE
I study
Alpha Keita and colleagues sequenced the viral genomes of 14 recently confirmed cases and found that they were genetically similar to the genomes sampled from the previous outbreak. The genomes themselves showed far fewer mutations than would be expected if the virus had continued to replicate and be transmitted from human to human for the past six years.
The findings suggest the possibility that the virus reappeared after a long latent period in an infected individual during the previous outbreak. The alternative – that a new epidemic has emerged after the virus “leapt” back from animals to humans – does not fit the data.
What is zoonosis, a very ancient natural phenomenon at the origin of pandemics
by Elena Cattaneo *
What changes from previous knowledge of the virus
It is already known that the Ebola virus can reactivate in the bodies of people who have recovered from the infection and are symptom-free. However, the study suggests that persistence and reactivation can occur for much longer periods of time than previously thought; almost five years, in this case.
The implications of the discovery on public health
The study has important public health implications, including the possible need for long-term monitoring of Ebola virus disease survivors to detect the presence of the virus in body fluids or vaccination to increase antibody responses in these individuals.
Finally, the findings reinforce the need for long-term medical and social care to reduce the risk of future outbreaks and prevent further stigmatization of survivors.
Long Form
Covid. Will he return: are we ready for the next epidemic?
by Giuliano Aluffi
.