Study: Ebola survivors experience long-term health problems post-infection

A woman reads a pamphlet on Ebola.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

After studying 82 Ebola survivors, doctors from the U.S. National Institutes of Health found that most were suffering from new, long-term health problems six months after being infected.

At the height of their infection, most of the survivors had severe neurological problems, like hallucinations. Six months after being discharged from the hospital, two-thirds had body weakness and half had symptoms of depression, memory loss, and regular headaches, BBC News reports. Two were actively suicidal while being studied. The doctors said that some of the issues could clear up as their bodies heal, and some are suffering trauma from being ostracized from their families and communities.

In West Africa, more than 17,000 people survived Ebola, and this research was part of a larger study focusing on health issues post-Ebola. "It was pretty striking, this is a young population of patients, and we wouldn't expect to have seen these sorts of problems," Dr. Lauren Bowen, from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, told BBC News. "Ebola hasn't gone away for these people."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.