Risk of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) transmission from Ebola Survivors

21 December 2015

Clinicians will be aware of recent documented evidence of sexual transmission and of recrudescent of Ebola disease in survivors. In light of this, Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, has written to Royal Medical Colleges to inform members of the current information about possible transmission periods and the advice from the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) on appropriate management of Ebola survivors. This advice is only for people who had Ebola disease; contacts of Ebola cases outside the 21 day incubation period are not considered to pose any additional risk.

All known Ebola survivors in the UK have been assigned a local Infectious Disease (ID) unit and a named clinical lead with whom they should maintain contact. If a survivor becomes ill with symptoms suggestive of infection, current guidelines are that they should contact that ID unit for advice, rather than going to their GP in the first instance.

For the full information about the evidence summary – EVD survivor risk and Current understanding of maximum detection periods read 151202 CMO letter on Ebola.