The neurological fallout of an Ebola virus infection worse than thought

Wednesday, July 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) – Ebola survivors may suffer greater long-term neurological consequences than doctors believed, a small study suggests.

In some cases, the problems were so severe that the survivors could no longer look after themselves. "We knew that a disease as severe as Ebola would leave survivors with major problems – however, it took me to see young and previously active people who had survived but who had survived. were now unable to move half of their bodies, or talk, or pick up their children, "said principal investigator Janet Scott, of the University of Liverpool in England

In the study, The research team looked at the scores of over 300 Ebola survivors in Sierra Leone with significant symptoms such as confusion, depression, and psychosis.The investigators then narrowed this number to 34 patients who were invited to participate in a neuropsychiatric clinic in 2016.

Once at the clinic, survivors underwent a complete neurological examination, psychiatric screening and brain scans. [1] 9659002] 34 Ebola survivors were infected during the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa – the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the discovery of the virus in 1976. More than 11,300 cases were identified. people have died. It has also spread between countries, starting with Guinea and then Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Among the survivors of this latest study, many also had mental health problems, the most common being major depression and anxiety disorders. Our results confirm the need for larger, controlled studies because post-Ebola syndrome does not go away, and those who are affected deserve better treatment, "Scott said in a university press release

. Researcher Stephen Sevalie said, "We have found a wide range of neurological and psychiatric symptoms – from minor to extremely severe and disabling – are present among Ebola survivors well past a year after the exit from the hospital. "Sevalie is a psychiatrist at the Military Hospital 34 in Sierra Leone.

" The psychiatric features of insomnia, depression, and anxiety are common, and our findings suggest that There is also a need to better understand the psychiatric and psychological consequences of Ebola. ", Added Sevalie,

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