Presence and Persistence of Ebola or Marburg Virus in Patients and Survivors A Rapid Systematic Review

In this study, the authors review and summarize 33 studies that examined evidence of presence and persistence of infectious virus in various body fluids compared to onset of Ebola or Marburg illness. Research consistently showed high viral loads in blood during illness, but rarely later than 16 days after illness onset. Filovirus was also found in non-blood body fluids of actively ill patients, but rarely found in survivors, with the exception of semen, which tested positive as late as 203 days after onset of illness.