Fibromyalgia & musculoskeletal pain
Chronic musculoskeletal pain among Ebola survivors in Guinea: a cross-sectional study reveals key risk factors and the need for specialized care
Authors' conclusion
Joint and muscle pain sequelae are frequent and require specialized care.
Study context
- Population
- Survivors of the 2013–16 West African Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the PostEboGui cohort, Conakry district, Guinea (55.6% female; median age 28.2 years)55.6% female
- Participants
- 313 survivors
- Exposure
- Ebola survivors vs seronegative controls living in the same area
- Ebola survivorsn = 313
- Outcome
- Chronic musculoskeletal pain
Methodological detailssystematic rheumatological screening, regression models, seronegative control cohort
- Systematic rheumatological screening
- Regression models
- Seronegative control cohort
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Chronic MS pain
Chronic musculoskeletal (MS) pain reported among the 313 patients, n (%)
216
69%
Previous Ebola infection as risk factor for chronic MS pain vs seronegative control cohort, aOR
6.66
95% CI 4.52–9.92
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Enthesis and painful peripheral joints involved, among patients with chronic MS pain
- Enthesis and painful peripheral joints largely involved, n (%)
- 196 (91%)
- Symmetrical distribution
Risk factors for current MS pain among survivors
- Increasing age, OR
- 1.14 (95% CI 1.08-1.22)
- Female gender, OR
- 3.58 (95% CI 1.22-11.80)
- Myalgia during acute phase of EVD (appeared protective), OR
- 0.14 (95% CI 0.04-0.42)
Time from Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) discharge to rheumatological visit
- Median time from ETC discharge to rheumatological visit, months (IQR 23-30)
- 26.2
Original publication
Chronic musculoskeletal pain among Ebola survivors in Guinea: a cross-sectional study reveals key risk factors and the need for specialized care. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 18 April 2025. doi:10.
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