Publications by authors named "Jaclyn Marrinan"
The clinical, virologic, and immunologic findings in a female Ebola virus disease patient are described. During the long-term follow-up, Ebola virus RNA was detectable in vaginal fluid before 36 days after symptom onset, with nearly an identical genome sequence as in acute phase blood. Ebola-specific T cells retained activation at 56 days after disease onset.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The 2013-2016 West African Ebola virus disease epidemic was unprecedented in terms of the number of cases and survivors. Prior to this epidemic there was limited data available on the persistence of Ebola virus in survivors' body fluids and the potential risk of transmission, including sexual transmission.
Methodology/principal Findings: Given the urgent need to determine the persistence of Ebola virus in survivors' body fluids, an observational cohort study was designed and implemented during the epidemic response operation in Sierra Leone.
Article Synopsis
- The Sierra Leone Ebola Virus Persistence Study aimed to investigate the risk of sexual transmission of the Ebola virus from survivors by examining how long the virus persists in body fluids, especially semen.
- A counseling protocol was developed, influenced by strategies for preventing HIV, to help survivors understand their risks and create personalized plans for reducing transmission, focusing on condom use and abstinence.
- The behavioral counseling protocol successfully translated test results into practical advice for participants, and its methods have been adopted by other programs in regions affected by Ebola.
Article Synopsis
- Ebola virus RNA was detected in the semen of 27% of male survivors of Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone, with varying detection rates depending on the time since discharge from treatment.
- The study surveyed 220 male survivors with semen samples tested using RT-PCR methods, revealing a higher prevalence of viral RNA shortly after discharge and a significant decline over time.
- The findings highlight the need for further research into the potential risks of sexual transmission of Ebola, as the study did not directly assess this aspect.
Malignant glioma, or glioblastoma, is the most common and lethal form of brain tumor with a median survival time of 15 months. The established therapeutic regimen includes a tripartite therapy of surgical resection followed by radiation and temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy, concurrently with radiation and then as an adjuvant. TMZ, a DNA alkylating agent, is the most successful antiglioma drug and has added several months to the life expectancy of malignant glioma patients.
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