ebola's legacy

The Ebola outbreak that ravaged West Africa from 2013-2016 left over 17,000 survivors across the region, many of whom still suffer from "post-Ebola syndrome" which includes dibilitating muscle and joint pain, headaches, fatigue, hearing loss and sometimes seizures.Researchers believe that 20% have uveitis, which at its best can cause a thick and stubborn cataract to form over the infected eye and at its worst, can casue blindness. Many were surprised to see so many cases in children as young as five years old. All still live with the stigma of the virus but with the help of doctors are Emory University and Kissy Hospital, their vision problems will be one less issue to worry about in the effort to rebuild their lives. Luckily doctors have been able to test each patients eye fluid to ensure that the virus is not present to safely remove the cataracts. 

New York Times, 2017