• Question: in the years to follow on from ebola will we become immune to it?

    Asked by ChloeS to Anthea, Chloe, Kevin, Michel, Sean on 14 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by jen.
    • Photo: Chloe Kinsella

      Chloe Kinsella answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      Two people in the USA that have contracted Ebola seem to have recovered. Scientists have found some evidence that once a person has recovered from an Ebola virus infection, they are immune to it. Other studies of blood samples taken from Ebola survivors a few years after they became infected with the virus show that these people have developed antibodies that can neutralize the Ebola virus. This suggests that Ebola survivors are immune to the disease, and will not get infected again.

      So the answer is yes some people will become immune to Ebola. If we could inject a tiny dose of Ebola into people and this caused them to create their own antibodies, then they might become immune to Ebola too.

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