U.S. Ebola Survivors Suffered Health Problems After Disease

Ebola survivors in the United States have all reported further health problems after surviving the disease, including hearing loss, lethargy and depression, new research shows.

To get their results, researchers looked at data from a survey of all eight survivors of Ebola who were treated in U.S. facilities. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that joint pain, fatigue, hair loss were some of the most common health problems reported.

Six of the eight survivors said they returned to daily activities after leaving the hospital, but only one said their post-Ebola health issues had been resolved completely.

“For patients who survived Ebola virus disease, the story does not end with their discharge from an Ebola treatment unit in West Africa or a hospital in the U.S.,” Timothy Uyeki, senior author of the study, told LiveScience. “[The report] reinforces the importance of monitoring and follow-up of survivors of Ebola virus disease in the U.S. and worldwide to address their medical management and mental health.”