New research has revealed that Ebola can survive in detectable concentrations in wastewater for eight days – a finding that has implications for the disposal of contaminated liquid waste during epidemics and outbreaks. The study, by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Drexel University, both in Philadelphia, and the National Institute of Health (NIH), is published in the Environmental Science & Technology Letters. According to the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) situation report, there have been 28,005 confirmed cases and 11,287 deaths as a result of the virus since cases were first reported in March 2014.

In their background information, the authors note that in the wake of the outbreak, there remained significant questions on the appropriate handling of virus-contaminated liquid waste and one of these concerns is the persistence of Ebola in wastewater. Studies have indicated that the virus can persist in survivors. For example, one study describes how viable Ebola virus was found in the eye of a survivor months after recovery. In contrast, there is limited data on the fate and transport of Ebola in wastewater collection systems.