Ebola survivors suffer from severe mental and neurological problems



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The researchers found that some survivors had health problems so severe that they were unable to take care of themselves

. (Photo from Reuters)

LONDON: People who survive the deadly Ebola virus can continue to suffer severe psychiatric and neurological problems such as depression, debilitating migraines, nerve pain and stroke, according to a report. study published Wednesday

. Patients infected during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa 2014-2016 found that some survivors had health problems so severe that they were unable to take care of the disease. 39; themselves.

"We knew that a disease as severe as" Ebola "However, it surprised me to see young people and previously active people who had survived but who were now unable to move half their body, talk or take their children, "said Janet Scott of the University of Liverpool

She said the results demonstrate the need for larger and more detailed studies of survivors of Ebola only on matched controls that were not infected with the virus

In the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, the study examined the scores of more than 300 survivors of the disease. Ebola in Sierra Leone, one of the countries most affected by the 2014-2016 epidemic.

34 selected patients were then invited to the Joint Neuropsychiatric Clinic in 2016 where they underwent a complete neurological examination , psychiatric screening and specialized examinations, including brain imaging.

Patrick Howlett of King's College London, who co-directed the research, showed that survivors suffer from "post-Ebola syndrome" or PES – a wide range of "minor to extremely severe" disorders. stun ".

Neurological problems include stroke, debilitating migraines, and nerve pain, while the most common psychiatric diagnoses the survivors studied were depression and anxiety. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa 2014-2016 killed more than 11,300 people and contaminated approximately 28,000 people across Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 10,000 people have survived the disease.

According to researchers, medical professionals specializing in the needs of Ebola survivors and the best way to treat PES are urgent.

"The post-Ebola syndrome is not going to go away, and those who are affected deserve better treatment," said Scott


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