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Ebola Virus DiseaseNCT04409405

Evaluation and Support to EVD Cured Patients and Their Contacts (Les Vainqueurs d'Ebola)

An observational study of Ebola Virus Disease, run by Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France at 4 sites in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Ebola virus is one of the most dangerous human pathogens and is an emerging public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in 1976. The current epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the largest and most complex ever recorded, and is not yet under… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 5 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Ebola Virus Disease
How many people
787 participants
Where
4 sitesDemocratic Republic of the Congo
Study dates
16 Apr 2020to 18 Oct 2021
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 5 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Study population: Cured patients: study team will approach every declared-cured EBOV-infection patients discharged of a Ebola treatment center (Beni, Butembo, Mambassa or Mangina), older than 5 year old Contact participants: Cured participants will identify contact with who they were in contact when ill.

Who may be able to join

  • In cured population
  • Age ≥ 5 years
  • Adults and children after an acute episode declared cured of biologically confirmed Ebola virus disease (two negative PCRs are required at least 24 hours apart so that a patient without clinical symptoms can leave the Ebola treatment center),
  • Informed consent signed by at least one of the two parents or the legal guardian authorizing the child's participation in the study,
  • Volunteer participant who signed the informed consent for adults.
  • In CONTACT population
Show all 16Show fewer
  • Age ≥ 5 years,
  • Be a contact person of a cured patient (ie patient with a proven EVD, and with two negative PCRs at least 24 hours apart) included in the cohort of Ebola Winners. Based on WHO recommendations and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the identification and traceability of contact subjects: a contact person is defined as a person who encountered the index case during his EVD in his residence, ie having the same place of life as him,
  • Have not been diagnosed with EVD,
  • Participation agreement:
  • For adult participants (≥ 18 years old, emancipated or married): informed consent intended for the adult participant signed,
  • For minors ≥ 5 years old: informed consent intended for the parent(s)/legal guardian signed by at least one of the two parents or the legal guardian and assent form intended for the minor participant completed.
  • In cellular immunological sub-study:
  • Adult participants in the parent study ≥ 18 years old,
  • Accept to participate in this sub-study
  • Negative blood EBOV PCR

Who cannot join

  • Absence of possible follow-up over 12 months from a logistical or geographical point of view (only for cured patients);
  • Non-residents in the DRC;
  • Impossibility of complying with the requirements and procedures of the study in the opinion of the investigator;
  • Inability to consent.

Trial locations and contacts

4 sites in 1 country.

Democratic Republic of the Congo4 sites
  • Beni Hospital

    Beni

  • Mangina Hospital

    Beni

  • Butembo Hospital

    Butembo

  • Mambasa Hospital

    Mambasa

Other trials in Democratic Republic of the Congo

About this study

Official title: Evaluation and Support to Ebola Virus Disease Cured Patients and Their Contacts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ebola virus is one of the most dangerous human pathogens and is an emerging public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in 1976. The current epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the largest and most complex ever recorded, and is not yet under control: a new death has been reported on April 10th, 2020. The epidemic was declared a public health emergency of international scope by the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 17th, 2019.

Two studies are the "standard" in the assessment of the consequences of infection in survivors, in Liberia (PREVAIL) and Guinea (PostEbogui), especially in:

Read more
  • The observation of comparable mortality rates, even if over time there was an improvement in survival, probably linked to the improvement in the quality of care and symptomatic treatment;
  • And the study of the contacts of the survivors, between 4 to 10% of them had done seroconversion with regard to Ebola virus (EBOV) in an asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic way and that this rate varied according to the degree of exposure to the risk.

The DRC's experience in this area and the enormous progress made in the fight against Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs), therapeutically and preventively (where much of which patients have benefited from antiviral treatment or monoclonal antibodies), the technological responses (real-time sequencing of Ebola strains in new cases, vaccination or the use of individual isolation units), show the limits of their effectiveness. A large number of questions therefore remain unanswered:

  • The antibody profile of the survivors, in particular the repertoire of immunoglobulin G (IgG) specific to these individuals and its correlation with survival and its evolution over time;
  • The impact of treatments initiated during the acute phase on these immune abnormalities;
  • Finally, genetic factors linked to the host could play an important role in the response to the Ebola virus.

The aim of this study is to provide a better overall understanding of Ebola virus infection and its clinical, virological, and immunological consequences, of cured people and their contacts; strengthen multidisciplinary monitoring of patients after an acute phase of EVD. The results will therefore have a direct impact on the clinical management of this population and on the prevention of possible secondary contamination in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Keywords
Ebola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, Ituri, North Kivu
Medical subject headings
Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT04409405
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Cured population• Age ≥ 5 year old
Contact population* Age ≥ 5 year old * Contact of a participant included in cured-population cohort * Not diagnosed with EVD

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Cured-participant population co-infections

    Frequencies of co-infections (human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus)

    Measured: Baseline (BL)

  2. Cured-participant population co-morbidities at any time in the study

    Frequencies of co-morbidities including severity

    Measured: Baseline (BL), month 3, month 6, month 9, month 12, month 18

  3. Evolution over time of clinical consequences in cured participants

    Sequelae of EVD in cured participants and their evolution according to clinical characteristics and received treatment during hospitalisation.

    Measured: Baseline (BL), month 3, month 6, month 9, month 12, month 18

  4. Evolution over time of immunological consequences in cured participants

    Proportion and evolution of IgG subclasses against nucleoprotein, VP40 and glycoprotein from isolates Mayinga1976 and Kissidougou-Makona2014.

    Measured: Baseline (BL), month 6, month 12

  5. Evolution over time of virological consequences in cured participants

    Evolution of EBOV virus identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in biological samples (blood, urine, feces, saliva, tears, breast milk (breastfeeding women), genital secretions (women aged 15 and over) and sperm (men aged 15 and over)).

    Measured: Baseline (BL), month 3, month 6, month 9, month 12, month 18

  6. Description of contact-participants Ebola-virus-exposure risk

    Description of exposure to the confirmed index case (duration and repetition of exposure, possible protection used, state of contagiousness of the confirmed index case including clinical condition and viremia), prevalence of EVD (living or deceased, with whom the subject was in contact), vaccination status against EVD.

    Measured: Baseline (BL)

  7. Asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic Ebola infections in contact participants (clinical assessment)

    Clinical assessment for EBOV infection since contact exposure to EVD patient.

    Measured: Baseline (BL)

  8. Asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic Ebola infections in contact participants (immunological assessment)

    Titration of IgG subclasses against nucleoprotein, VP40 and glycoprotein.

    Measured: Baseline (BL)

  9. Asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic Ebola infections in contact participants (virological assessment)

    Presence of Ebola virus identified by PCR in biological samples (blood, urine, feces, saliva, tears, breast milk (breastfeeding women), genital secretions and sperm (men aged 15 and over)).

    Measured: Baseline (BL)

  10. Evolution over time of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in cured and contact participants (cellular immunological sub-study)

    Phenotypic characterization and activation status of the different cell populations within PBMC (T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, etc.) by flow cytometry

    Measured: Baseline (BL), month 6, month 12

  11. Evolution over time of concentration of immune response analytes in cured and contact participants (cellular immunological sub-study)

    Titration of analytes involved in immune responses (using Luminex technology)

    Measured: Baseline (BL), month 6, month 12

  12. Evolution over time of EBOV-specific T responses in cured and contact participants (cellular immunological sub-study)

    EBOV-specific T responses after stimulation of cells by flow cytometry

    Measured: Baseline (BL), month 6, month 12

  13. Evolution over time of gene-expression profile in cured and contact participants (cellular immunological sub-study)

    Analysis of gene-expression profile in whole blood using Ilumina technology

    Measured: Baseline (BL), month 6, month 12

  14. Evolution over time of genetic heterogeneity in cured and contact participants (cellular immunological sub-study)

    Single-cell analysis to evaluate cellular genetic heterogeneity in cell population.

    Measured: Baseline (BL), month 6, month 12

  15. Genetic sub-study in cured and contact participants

    Research of genetic variants implied in EBOV-infection response.

    Measured: Baseline (BL)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 Jun 2020
  2. Study start16 Apr 2020
  3. Primary completion18 Oct 2021
  4. Study completion18 Oct 2021

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
787 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04409405
Sponsor's protocol ID
C19-59
Other IDs
ESP/CE/287/2019
Status last verified
Feb 2022
First submitted
14 Apr 2020
Last updated
1 Oct 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Dilu-Keti A, Tovar-Sanchez T, Cuer B, Nkuba-Ndaye A, Mukadi-Bamuleka D, Panzi-Kalunda E, Kitenge-Omasumbu R, Bulabula-Penge J, Mambu-Mbika F, Mbala-Kingebeni P, Ayouba A, Muyembe-Tamfum JJ, Etard JF, Chenge F, Delaporte E, Ahuka-Mundeke S; 'Les Vainqueurs d'Ebola' study group. Long-term Sequelae in Ebola Virus Disease Survivors Receiving Anti-Ebola Virus Therapies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Prospective Cohort Study. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025 Jul 31;12(8):ofaf436. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf436. eCollection 2025 Aug.

    PubMed 40809394
  • Nkuba-Ndaye A, Dilu-Keti A, Tovar-Sanchez T, Diallo MSK, Mukadi-Bamuleka D, Kitenge R, Formenty P, Legand A, Edidi-Atani F, Thaurignac G, Pelloquin R, Mbala-Kingebeni P, Toure A, Ayouba A, Muyembe-Tamfum JJ, Delaporte E, Peeters M, Ahuka-Mundeke S; Les Vainqueurs d'Ebola Study Group. Effect of anti-Ebola virus monoclonal antibodies on endogenous antibody production in survivors of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an observational cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2024 Mar;24(3):266-274. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00552-2. Epub 2023 Nov 30.

    PubMed 38043556

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Ebola Virus Disease, run by Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France at 4 sites in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 16 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 4 sites in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Cured-participant population co-infections (time frame: Baseline (BL)). The study lists 15 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04409405, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Oct 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 2 Nov 2026.

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