# Ophthalmic Disease and Laboratory Surveillance in a Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Zone

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2022 · $248,477

## Abstract

Project Summary
Emerging infectious diseases can lead to devastating epidemics and pose a threat to global health security. The World
Health Organization has identified pathogens that are likely to cause severe and imminent outbreaks, which include
Ebolavirus (EBOV) and Lassa fever virus, all of which require urgent attention in research. The West African Ebola virus
disease (EVD) outbreak of 2013-2016 is the most devasting EBOV outbreak in history with over 28,600 infected and
11,300 deaths. To date there continue to be isolated outbreaks with significant morbidity and mortality. There are
approximately 17,000 EVD survivors who are at-risk for Post-Ebolavirus Disease Syndrome, a recently described entity,
which includes systemic conditions, ocular disease, and viral persistence in immune privileged sites (aqueous humor,
semen, and central nervous system). Viral persistence is of public health importance, given its initiation of EBOV
transmission events and its association with end-organ damage.
Uveitis, a potentially blinding inflammatory eye disease, is the most common ocular complication, occurring in
approximately 13-34% of EVD survivors in West Africa. We have described vision loss due to ocular complications in
retrospective cohorts in both Sierra Leone and Liberia. Specifically, within Liberian EVD survivors with uveitis
developed vision impairment was noted in 60% and blindness (vision worse than 20/400) in approximately 40% of EVD
survivors. Currently, we have insufficient knowledge about the disease course of EVD-associated uveitis, long-term
visual acuity outcomes, and appropriate treatment for this sight-threatening disease. Besides our recent studies related to
clinical uveitis in EVD survivors, our recent investigation of EBOV persistence raises questions about the potential for the
eye to serve as a novel tissue site for infectious disease surveillance, particularly in a viral hemorrhagic fever zone
endemic for other emerging pathogens of public health significance.
The objectives of this study are to 1. Determine the prevalence of uveitis, incident vision loss over time, and risk factors
for uveitis development in EVD survivors 2. Explore ophthalmic manifestation in Lassa fever virus survivors 3. Validate
ocular fluid sampling as method for detection for surveillance of infectious diseases in collaboration with the Child Health
and Mortality Prevention Surveillance study.
The career development aims for this K-23 proposal are to 1. Obtain methodological skills in disease surveillance systems
2. Gain competency in molecular diagnostics of ocular fluid in the diagnosis of infectious pathogens 3. Continue to
develop skills in clinical research in international settings 4. Further my training in statistical and epidemiology methods
necessary for success in clinical studies. To accomplish these goals, I have designed a training plan that includes
coursework, mentorship with international leaders, attendance and presentation at local an...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10480923
- **Project number:** 5K23EY030158-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** JESSICA Shantha
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $248,477
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10480923

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10480923, Ophthalmic Disease and Laboratory Surveillance in a Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Zone (5K23EY030158-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10480923. Licensed CC0.

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