Ebola Virus-Specific Neutralizing Antibody Persists at High Levels in Survivors 2 Years After Resolution of Disease in a Sierra Leonean Cohort

Abstract

Ebola virus (EBOV) infection results in Ebola virus disease (EVD), an often severe disease with a nonspecific presentation. Since its recognition, periodic outbreaks of EVD continue to occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The 2013-2016 West African EVD outbreak was the largest recorded, resulting in a substantial cohort of EVD survivors with persistent health complaints and variable immune responses. In this study, we characterize humoral immune responses in EVD survivors and their contacts in Eastern Sierra Leone. We found high levels of EBOV IgG in EVD survivors and lower yet substantial antibody levels in household contacts, suggesting subclinical transmission. Neutralizing antibody function was prevalent but variable in EVD survivors, raising questions about the durability of immune responses from natural infection with EBOV. Additionally, we found that certain discrete symptoms - ophthalmologic and auditory - are associated with EBOV IgG seropositivity, while an array of symptoms are associated with the presence of neutralizing antibody.