Posted on 10/20/2014 8:12:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
While most of the recent coverage of the ongoing Ebola outbreak has focused on rising death tolls and a few infected US citizens, other segments of the population have passed mostly unnoticed from the harsh glare of the media spotlight: survivors, and those who are seemingly immune to Ebola.
People who survive Ebola can lead normal lives post-recovery, though occasionally they can suffer inflammatory conditions of the joints afterward, according to CBS. Recovery times can vary, and so can the amount of time it takes for the virus to clear out of the system.
The World Health Organization found that the virus can reside in semen for up to seven weeks after recovery. Survivors are generally assumed to be immune to the particular strain they are infected by and are able to help tend to others infected with the same strain. What isn't clear is whether a person is immune to other strains of Ebola, or if their immunity will last.
As with most viral infections, patients who recover from Ebola end up with Ebola-fighting antibodies in their blood, making their blood a valuable (if controversial) treatment option for others who catch the infection. Kent Brantly, one of the most recognizable Ebola survivors, has donated more than a gallon of his blood to other patients. The plasma of his blood, which contains the antibodies, is separated out from the red blood cells, creating what's known as a convalescent serum, which can then be given to a patient as a transfusion. The hope is that the antibodies in the serum will boost the patient's immune response, attacking the virus, and allowing the body to recover.
But this treatment method, like all Ebola treatment methods, is far from ideal.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Until it mutates and it will mutate.
so it can lay dormant in someone for years ..
are they a “carrier” during that time ???
are they contagious when it does flare up again ???
yes, aren’t there at least 6-7 different strains now?
Just think of how much money one can make from their serum after they recover from Ebola. I’d bet many would pay a tidy sum for it.
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