Table 1.
Maximum Interval Between Onset of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and Last Detection of Ebolavirus RNA by Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Last Detection of Ebolavirus by Culture, by Human Body Fluid Specimen
| Specimen(s) | Last Positive RT-PCR Result, d | Last Positive Culture Result, d |
|---|---|---|
| Saliva | 22 | 4 |
| Tears/conjunctival swab | 28 | …a |
| Rectal swab/stool | 29 | …b |
| Vaginal swab | 33 | …c |
| Amniotic fluid/placenta | 38 | NA |
| Skin swab/sweat | 44 | NA |
| Urine | 64 | 26 |
| Aqueous humor | 101 | 101 |
| Cerebrospinal fluid | 283 | NA |
| Breast milk | 486d | 15 |
| Semen | 488 | 82 |
Abbreviation: NA, no report available in the literature.
a No data on final positive results are available. Culture results were negative 6 days after EVD onset.
b No data on final positive results are available. Culture results were negative 4–12 days after EVD onset.
c No data on final positive results are available. Culture results were negative 22, 25, and 33 days after EVD onset.
d The time was specified as 16 months in the literature but is converted here to days for parallelism with units specified elsewhere in the column. This sample was Ebolavirus RNA positive at low levels, making interpretation difficult. Further testing is necessary to confirm these results.