Added Value of an Anti-Ebola Serology for the Management of Clinically Suspected Ebola Virus Disease Patients Discharged as Negative in an Epidemic Context

Abstract

Background: Survivors from Ebola virus disease (EVD) may be at the origin of EVD resurgence.

Methods: Simultaneous reactivity to at least 2 Ebola virus or Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) antigens was detected in 11 of 488 (2.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-4.0) suspected EVD patients who were discharged as negative after 2 consecutive negative tests during the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Results: After extrapolating the total number of individuals discharged as negative during the entire outbreak, we estimated a total of 1314 additional missed Ebola cases.

Conclusions: These findings emphasize the usefulness of an EBOV serology analysis and the importance of extending epidemic surveillance to clinically suspected cases who were discharged as negative.

Keywords: Ebola; DRC; Ituri; North-Kivu; serology.