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NIH Scientists Determine Ebola Viability in Deceased Monkeys

Published on: February 12, 2015

The study is a good indicator of viral stability in deceased individuals and underscores the need for adequate safety measures even after a patient dies.

To determine how long Ebola virus could remain infectious in a body after death, National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists sampled deceased Ebola-infected monkeys and discovered the virus remained viable for at least seven days. They also detected non-infectious viral RNA for up to 70 days post-mortem. The study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, suggests that Ebola transmission from deceased individuals may be possible for an extended period of time following death, underscoring the importance of using safe practices for handling corpses. The research also highlights oral swabbing of bodies as a reliable and safer alternative to riskier procedures for obtaining diagnostic samples.

Read the complete press release on the NIH website:

http://1.usa.gov/1vnADFP