Concepedia

Ebola Virus Persistence in Breast Milk After No Reported Illness: A Likely Source of Virus Transmission From Mother to Child

Daouda Sissoko, Mory Keïta, Boubacar Diallo, Negar Aliabadi, David L. Fitter, Benjamin A. Dahl, Joseph Akoi Boré, Fara Raymond Koundouno, Katrin Singethan, Sarah Meisel,

Clinical Infectious Diseases · 2016 · 100 citations · 10 references

DOI Full text

Open access

Concepts

Public HealthChild HealthInfectious DiseasesBreastfeedingMolecular VirologyVirologyGenomic EpidemiologyInfant Infectious DiseasesMother-to-child Transmission PreventionViral EpidemiologyViral InfectionsBreast Milk ExposureBreastfeeding-associated InfectionGenomic Dna AnalysisLaboratory InvestigationsMaternal Infectious DiseasesMaternal-child TransmissionMilk-borne InfectionsMilk-borne Transmission

Abstract

A 9-month-old infant died from Ebola virus (EBOV) disease with unknown epidemiological link. While her parents did not report previous illness, laboratory investigations revealed persisting EBOV RNA in the mother's breast milk and the father's seminal fluid. Genomic analysis strongly suggests EBOV transmission to the child through breastfeeding.