Ebola is a highly infectious disease. After an incubation time that runs to twenty-one days, one of the common signs of the disease is bleeding from mucous membranes and puncture sites. If the infected person does not recover, death due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome occurs. However, a sizable number of people, if treated, pull though. The peril is not necessarily over, however. The continual health risks faced by Ebola survivors include eye and joint problems, according to the new WHO medical assessment study.
Although the rate of Ebola infections has fallen, the WHO continues to class Ebola as a major health emergency. Over 25,000 people have been infected in three African countries and, of these, some 10,000 have died.
In terms of post-Ebola related issues, many patients have reported problems with their vision, joints and on-going fatigue. Dr Margaret Nanyonga, psychosocial support officer for the World Health Organization in Kenema, said in a WHO report: “We are seeing a lot of people with vision problems. Some complain of clouded vision, but for others the visual loss is progressive. I have seen 2 people who are now blind.” Medics have now coined the term post-Ebola syndrome for such health issues.
In related news, somewhat disturbingly WHO reports that someone may have caught Ebola through sexual contact with someone who had recovered. According to the BBC, WHO scientists are weighing up whether it is feasible to offer screening to check if the virus is still present in semen 90 days after male survivors have been declared Ebola free.
