Comment on “Ebola Virus Persistence in the Environment: State of the Knowledge and Research Needs”

In the letter “Ebola Virus Persistence in the Environment: State of the Knowledge and Research Needs”, the authors’ review existing evidence on Ebola virus persistence in the environment and recommend research to understand potential transmission risks associated with liquid wastes from Ebola-infected patients.(1) We agree the research described is necessary. However, the letter is limited by: 1) selective reporting of Ebola persistence data on surfaces and Ebola surrogate survival; and, 2) lack of information on the potential role of environmental transmission in the larger epidemiological picture of Ebola transmission. Additionally, the authors’ recommendation to use “a more conservative estimate than current WHO and CDC recommendations”(1) for handling liquid wastes from Ebola patients is unfounded based on current evidence and could contribute to the culture of fear around Ebola.