The immune response to Ebola virus
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The immune response to Ebola virus post-vaccination and post-infection
IRAS ID
257976
Contact name
Emma Thomson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
One patient out of 30,000 survivors of the 2014-6 Ebola epidemic affecting West Africa developed a relapse of the disease resulting in meningo-encephalitis and a relapse of viraemic infection. This patient is currently under follow-up by the infectious diseases department (consultant - Dr Emma Thomson) at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. We wish to monitor immune responses (both antibody and cellular responses) in this patient over time in collaboration with colleagues at Public Health England. Monitoring immune responses to the Ebola virus (EBOV) is not a standardised NHS test and therefore we wish to use established research methods to monitor the presence or absence of an effective immune response against the virus over time, both for clinical monitoring and also for the purposes of research. In addition, at the time of the relapse, 26 medical staff were potentially exposed to the virus and were vaccinated with the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine (which has recently been rolled out to >100,000 exposed individuals in DRC). Very little is known about long term responses in such individuals and we now wish to study the longevity of the immune responses in vaccinated individuals.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/WM/0269
Date of REC Opinion
24 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion