Serological Evidence of Ebola Virus Infection in Rural Guinea before the 2014 West African Epidemic Outbreak

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018 Aug;99(2):425-427. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0105. Epub 2018 May 31.

Abstract

Questions remain as to whether an unnoticed Ebola outbreak occurred in Guinea before the 2014-2016 epidemic. To address this, we used a highly sensitive and specific Luminex-based assay for Ebola virus (EBOV) antibody detection to screen blood samples collected in the framework of the Demographic Health Survey performed in 2012 in Guinea. One sample (GF069) of 1,483 tested was positive at very high immunoglobulin G titer to Zaire EBOV in Guinée Forestière. Thus, at least 2 years before the 2014 EVD outbreak in Guinea, Zaire EBOV was circulating in rural areas of this country.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Dried Blood Spot Testing
  • Ebolavirus
  • Epidemics / statistics & numerical data*
  • Guinea / epidemiology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / blood
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / diagnosis*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Rural Population
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G