Ebola can linger, perhaps replicate in lungs

Patient showed virus in lungs 5 days after blood clearance A healthcare worker recovering from Ebola virus in Italy showed evidence of persistent viral infection in his lungs days after the virus was no longer detectable in his blood, researchers reported. The case study, appearing in the journal PLOS One, represents the first direct evidence of potential replication of the virus in the lungs, suggesting that the respiratory system may play a more significant role in the pathogenesis of Ebola than previously recognized. It also suggests the possibility of respiratory transmission of the virus, wrote Mirella Biava, of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome, and colleagues. “The presence of viral replication markers here reported adds some support to this possibility, although the evidence is far from being conclusive, due to the absence of recovery of infectious virus in respiratory secretion,” the researchers wrote. “Further investigation is needed to better understand the clinical...