Ebola in Guinea can be linked to those who survived the 2014 outbreak (WHO)

Genetic analysis of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Guinea could have survived the devastating outbreak in Africa, a senior World Health Organization official said. West, which ended five years ago.

At a press conference in Geneva, WHO emergency chief Dr Michael Ryan called the results of the virus’ genetic sequence in Guinea “very great.”

African and German scientists posted their findings on the virology website on Friday, concluding that the current virus infecting people in Guinea is similar to the virus that began to spread widely in West Africa. It was launched in 2014.

“More studies are needed,” Ryan said. But based on the available genetic sequence data, he said, the current outbreak is not related to animals, and the previous outbreak has almost begun. “[Ceci] Too much to be associated with consistency [du virus] Or delay of infection in humans. “It simply came to our notice then.

Scientists have previously documented survivors who accidentally infected others long after recovery, but these rare cases did not cause infections. In 2018, doctors published a study on a Liberian woman infected with Ebola in 2014, but a year later three loved ones became infected.

Health officials warn that men can sometimes infect other people through sexual activity long after they appear to have recovered – the virus persists in semen for more than a year.

The possibility of an outbreak long after the infection underscores the importance of monitoring survivors and Ryan warns against their stigma. Most people with the disease clear the virus from their systems and recover within six months.

Ryan says very few people are allowed to carry the virus, but others are not infected “except in very special circumstances.”

He says there have been 18 cases in Guinea so far and the WHO has sent more than 30,000 doses of the vaccine into the country.