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Serological Evidence of Ebola Virus Infection in Rural Guinea before the 2014 West African Epidemic Outbreak
Authors: Keita AK, Butel C, Thaurignac G, Diallo A, Nioke T, Traoré F, Koivogui L, Peeters M, Delaporte E, and Ayouba A
Source: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 99(2): 425-427; DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0105
Topic(s): Child health
Mother-to-Child Transmission
Neonatal mortality
Country: Africa
  Guinea
Published: AUG 2016
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.