Less than two months after he was released from the hospital, he started to get intense eye pain in his left eye. He also experienced fading in his left eye as well, and before he could even get to the doctors, his eye color had changed from blue to green. Doctors did an eye swab and they found that it was full with Ebola. They thought that he was clear of the virus and that was why they released him, but to their horror, it was still there.
It is very rare for someone’s eye color to change like this, but it can happen from time to time if you suffer from a viral infection. The end result is normally permanent and they happen because the viral infection attacks the pigmented cells in the iris. After he was treated however, his eye color turned back to normal but it is unclear as to how this happened. The doctor who treated him has stated that he has been doing this for over 40 years and he has never seen anything like this before.
The doctor who treated the man has stated that the eye color change could be a result form the infection that caused a transformation, but what the alternation did however is still a mystery. Doctors also believe that this could also happen in other Ebola victims.
Since the epidemic last year, the main focus has been on prevention but doctors are now being faced with what is normally called post-Ebola syndrome. Many West African survivors have experienced visual problems, joint pains and more since the virus hit but doctors were very surprised when they found the virus in the man’s eye.
Those who have suffered from Ebola may need help dealing with their own psychological and social needs, but the problem of after effects is still present. Dr. Margaret Nanyonga who is a psychosocial support worker has called for more information on why these symptoms are still present and she also wants to find out if they are caused by the virus or the treatment used to kill the virus.
She wants to help people who have suffered from the virus cope with day to day life afterwards and she is also doing her own research in an attempt to discover symptoms that might be present after they are potentially cured.
