American Rage
Inactive
just wait till thousands of African child Ebola victims start arriving here by airplane
HEALTH CONCERNS THAT WEST AFRICAN EBOLA VIRUS MAY HAVE SPREAD TO MOROCCO
- Thread starter BREWER
- Start date
Doomer Doug
TB Fanatic
I read Robinson Crusoe and was amazed to find out the island is off of South America! For some reason, I always thought it was a 16th century version of Gilligan's Island. It is also a very spiritual book with a deep insight into human nature.
Drudgereport.com now has a headline stating that 602 people have been infected with Ebola since February. This is ONLY the ones they know about! The true number is a multiple of ? times that.
Further, the article stated that 82 people had died from Ebola from July 8th to July 12th. This is a rate of 20 a DAY. It also confirmed the total collapse of any ability for any health care workers to do anything about it. I will say it again: there are likely dozens to hundreds of additional infected people either wandering around West Africa, or trapped in their villages. You can't have 82 people dying in a four day period without it meaning the disease is about to go into ballistic mode.
The disease is not COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL. The ability to deal with it is also completely gone. The quote about "it will take several months to deal with it" is a war crime. It is the intentional lie of a government shill who refuses to admit thousands of people are already infected. The fact the western media and medical groups can't find them, since they will be killed if they try and go into those areas, much less treat them. If it ain't visible, then it doesn't exist.
Keep your eyes on Ebola. It is coming to Europe and the USA soon enough.
Drudgereport.com now has a headline stating that 602 people have been infected with Ebola since February. This is ONLY the ones they know about! The true number is a multiple of ? times that.
Further, the article stated that 82 people had died from Ebola from July 8th to July 12th. This is a rate of 20 a DAY. It also confirmed the total collapse of any ability for any health care workers to do anything about it. I will say it again: there are likely dozens to hundreds of additional infected people either wandering around West Africa, or trapped in their villages. You can't have 82 people dying in a four day period without it meaning the disease is about to go into ballistic mode.
The disease is not COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL. The ability to deal with it is also completely gone. The quote about "it will take several months to deal with it" is a war crime. It is the intentional lie of a government shill who refuses to admit thousands of people are already infected. The fact the western media and medical groups can't find them, since they will be killed if they try and go into those areas, much less treat them. If it ain't visible, then it doesn't exist.
Keep your eyes on Ebola. It is coming to Europe and the USA soon enough.
Doomer Doug
TB Fanatic
Here is the math of Ebola in West Africa.
On May 1st, 2014 it was reported there had been 226 confirmed cases. 149 people had died out of the 226.
On May 5th, 2014 it was reported there were 235 confirmed cases.
The latest figures, depending on who you believe, range from a low of 602, a mid range of 750, and a high of 888.
This is what is called geometric progression and indicates the rate of increase is no longer arithmetic.
One May 5th, you had 235 cases. On July 14, or at least reported on July 14th, you had 888 cases. The difference is 622 cases for 26 days in May, 30 days in June, and 14 in July. This means the rate of increase for the confirmed cases that are being admitted anyway is staggering.
235 equals 100 percent. 430 equals a 100 percent increase. 665 equals a 200 percent increase. 665 plus 223 equals the 888 total Ebola cases now admitted. THIS MEANS THERE HAS BEEN NEARLY a 300 PERCENT INCREASE IN CONFIRMED CASES IN A LITTLE OVER 2 MONTHS. Again, these are only the cases we "know" about. The actual totals of infected people are much, much higher. This means the percentage rate of increase is also higher.
The numbers of people infected are going to skyrocket, whether we "know" about them or not. The reason is your base number keeps going up, as well as the percentage increase. The 100 percent increase will also increase. The total number of infected people will increase as you start doubling 400 cases, then 900 cases, and then 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000.
It is the one rice grain on the first chess square all over again.
On May 1st, 2014 it was reported there had been 226 confirmed cases. 149 people had died out of the 226.
On May 5th, 2014 it was reported there were 235 confirmed cases.
The latest figures, depending on who you believe, range from a low of 602, a mid range of 750, and a high of 888.
This is what is called geometric progression and indicates the rate of increase is no longer arithmetic.
One May 5th, you had 235 cases. On July 14, or at least reported on July 14th, you had 888 cases. The difference is 622 cases for 26 days in May, 30 days in June, and 14 in July. This means the rate of increase for the confirmed cases that are being admitted anyway is staggering.
235 equals 100 percent. 430 equals a 100 percent increase. 665 equals a 200 percent increase. 665 plus 223 equals the 888 total Ebola cases now admitted. THIS MEANS THERE HAS BEEN NEARLY a 300 PERCENT INCREASE IN CONFIRMED CASES IN A LITTLE OVER 2 MONTHS. Again, these are only the cases we "know" about. The actual totals of infected people are much, much higher. This means the percentage rate of increase is also higher.
The numbers of people infected are going to skyrocket, whether we "know" about them or not. The reason is your base number keeps going up, as well as the percentage increase. The 100 percent increase will also increase. The total number of infected people will increase as you start doubling 400 cases, then 900 cases, and then 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000.
It is the one rice grain on the first chess square all over again.
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201407141435.html
Liberia: Suspected Ebola Patient Dies At JFK [The Hospital Located in Sinkor, Monrovia, the JFK is the largest referral hospital in Liberia. Not the US Airport!]
- Several Nurses, Others Abandon Work
By Obediah Johnson, 14 July 2014
Normal working and medical activities at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center were on Friday, July 11, 2014 halted for several hours as a result of the death of a suspected Ebola patient at the hospital.
Ebola is a deadly disease that has no cure.
Located in Sinkor, Monrovia the JFK is the largest referral hospital in Liberia.
A pregnant woman suspected of contracting the Ebola virus died during the late evening hours of Thursday, July 10, 2014 at the Emergency Ward of the hospital.
Some patients admitted at the hospital alleged that both medical doctors and nurses abandoned them when the news broke out that a patient suspected of contracting the deadly Ebola virus had died.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the patients said most of the nurses that were on duty during the night were seen without safety gears.
They further alleged that the nurses abandoned their duties and responsibilities for fear of coming in contact with the deadly virus.
According to them, the alleged abandonment by boththe medical doctors and nurses made their condition to worsen.
"You are asking me if I am working; just go to the ER, the woman that died from Ebola yesterday is there. You can go and see for yourself because press people like to make sure," a nurse who was walking out of the JFK compound asserted when quizzed by our reporter who had gone to the hospital upon getting the scoop.
At the JFK, our reporter observed that authorities of the hospital, including medical doctors were seen moving from one point to another in a confused state.
According to him, some nurses were being counseled and encouraged by some officials of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to continue their duties and responsibilities.
He said many of the nurses were even refusing to "shake hands or come in body contact" with some of their colleagues or bosses.
Our reporter said the death of the suspected Ebola patient at the hospital also compelled many family members, friends and loved ones of patients admitted to request authorities of the hospital to release their respective patients.
But their request was rejected by the JFK authorities.
He several patients, who were being transferred to the hospital, were taking elsewhere by their family members or friends for fear of contracting the virus at the JFK.
When contacted, the Public Relation Officer of the hospital, Daylue Goah, confirmed the death of the unidentified pregnant woman.
He told reporters that prior to her death, the woman was showing symptoms of the Ebola virus.
He said the woman was later taken to the isolation center of the hospital.
Mr. Goah noted that the fear amongst the nurses cannot be ruled out, saying the nurses are still "doing their work."
He disclosed that specimen of the dead lady would be sent to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for laboratory assessment to establish whether or not she (pregnant woman) died from Ebola.
Meanwhile, several family members have expressed fear and concern over the wellbeing of their relatives admitted at the hospital.
They termed as "risky" the abandonment of their relatives and friends by medical practitioners at the JFK.
"Only the patients are in the hospital. They send for the MOHSW people to come and take the body from here; up to now they are not here. We are also afraid because, we don't know what is happening to them inside there.
So, we want them to release our patients so we can take them elsewhere because, the doctors and nurses too are running away," averred one Mr. Moses Laftey.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201407141435.html
Liberia: Suspected Ebola Patient Dies At JFK [The Hospital Located in Sinkor, Monrovia, the JFK is the largest referral hospital in Liberia. Not the US Airport!]
- Several Nurses, Others Abandon Work
By Obediah Johnson, 14 July 2014
Normal working and medical activities at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center were on Friday, July 11, 2014 halted for several hours as a result of the death of a suspected Ebola patient at the hospital.
Ebola is a deadly disease that has no cure.
Located in Sinkor, Monrovia the JFK is the largest referral hospital in Liberia.
A pregnant woman suspected of contracting the Ebola virus died during the late evening hours of Thursday, July 10, 2014 at the Emergency Ward of the hospital.
Some patients admitted at the hospital alleged that both medical doctors and nurses abandoned them when the news broke out that a patient suspected of contracting the deadly Ebola virus had died.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the patients said most of the nurses that were on duty during the night were seen without safety gears.
They further alleged that the nurses abandoned their duties and responsibilities for fear of coming in contact with the deadly virus.
According to them, the alleged abandonment by boththe medical doctors and nurses made their condition to worsen.
"You are asking me if I am working; just go to the ER, the woman that died from Ebola yesterday is there. You can go and see for yourself because press people like to make sure," a nurse who was walking out of the JFK compound asserted when quizzed by our reporter who had gone to the hospital upon getting the scoop.
At the JFK, our reporter observed that authorities of the hospital, including medical doctors were seen moving from one point to another in a confused state.
According to him, some nurses were being counseled and encouraged by some officials of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to continue their duties and responsibilities.
He said many of the nurses were even refusing to "shake hands or come in body contact" with some of their colleagues or bosses.
Our reporter said the death of the suspected Ebola patient at the hospital also compelled many family members, friends and loved ones of patients admitted to request authorities of the hospital to release their respective patients.
But their request was rejected by the JFK authorities.
He several patients, who were being transferred to the hospital, were taking elsewhere by their family members or friends for fear of contracting the virus at the JFK.
When contacted, the Public Relation Officer of the hospital, Daylue Goah, confirmed the death of the unidentified pregnant woman.
He told reporters that prior to her death, the woman was showing symptoms of the Ebola virus.
He said the woman was later taken to the isolation center of the hospital.
Mr. Goah noted that the fear amongst the nurses cannot be ruled out, saying the nurses are still "doing their work."
He disclosed that specimen of the dead lady would be sent to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for laboratory assessment to establish whether or not she (pregnant woman) died from Ebola.
Meanwhile, several family members have expressed fear and concern over the wellbeing of their relatives admitted at the hospital.
They termed as "risky" the abandonment of their relatives and friends by medical practitioners at the JFK.
"Only the patients are in the hospital. They send for the MOHSW people to come and take the body from here; up to now they are not here. We are also afraid because, we don't know what is happening to them inside there.
So, we want them to release our patients so we can take them elsewhere because, the doctors and nurses too are running away," averred one Mr. Moses Laftey.
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201407141521.html?aa_source=slideout
Liberia: 'Ebola Outbreak Is National Emergency'
14 July 2014
Catholic Archbishop Lewis Ziegler has made a passionate plea to the public, especially the religious community, to see the Ebola outbreak as a national emergency.
He said Christians should not doubt the reality of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia but should work closely with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and partners in containing the spread of the virus which has claimed lives and continues to affect the health of Liberians and other citizens.
Speaking during a one-day Ebola sensitization workshop held at the Health Ministry in Congo Town at the weekend, Archbishop Ziegler urged the public to stop the state of denial, and limit contacts with bodies of people infected, dead or suspected of dying of Ebola.
He also appealed to the public against performing the usual religious, traditional and other burial rites for those dying or suspected of dying of Ebola because these practices expose the public to the virus.
At the close of the workshop, 67 religious leaders adopted a four-count action plan for the implementation at their various churches.
The religious leaders agreed to provide Ebola education at their various churches, Sunday schools, homes and communities.
They also agreed to provide hand washing buckets at their churches to prevent the virus, and also, work with the Ministry of Health and partners in reporting suspected cases within their communities and churches.
The workshop was part of the Health Ministry's effort aimed at creating awareness and sensitization on spread of the deadly Ebola virus in the country.
Earlier, the Liberian Council of Churches called for a national fast and prayer as part of efforts to contain the virus. As of July 10, two new suspected cases were reported, bringing the cumulative cases (confirmed probable and suspected) to 137, including 64 confirmed cases.
Four new deaths were reported, bringing the total deaths to 85, including 40 confirmed cases. Liberia's Ebola case fatality rate is 71.6 percent.
This indicates that the situation is still volatile and requires community, religious and traditional leaders' support.
Ebola spared through physical contact with a victim of the disease. The virus also spreads through sweat, saliva, blood, touching the vomit or urine of somebody who is sick with Ebola.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201407141521.html?aa_source=slideout
Liberia: 'Ebola Outbreak Is National Emergency'
14 July 2014
Catholic Archbishop Lewis Ziegler has made a passionate plea to the public, especially the religious community, to see the Ebola outbreak as a national emergency.
He said Christians should not doubt the reality of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia but should work closely with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and partners in containing the spread of the virus which has claimed lives and continues to affect the health of Liberians and other citizens.
Speaking during a one-day Ebola sensitization workshop held at the Health Ministry in Congo Town at the weekend, Archbishop Ziegler urged the public to stop the state of denial, and limit contacts with bodies of people infected, dead or suspected of dying of Ebola.
He also appealed to the public against performing the usual religious, traditional and other burial rites for those dying or suspected of dying of Ebola because these practices expose the public to the virus.
At the close of the workshop, 67 religious leaders adopted a four-count action plan for the implementation at their various churches.
The religious leaders agreed to provide Ebola education at their various churches, Sunday schools, homes and communities.
They also agreed to provide hand washing buckets at their churches to prevent the virus, and also, work with the Ministry of Health and partners in reporting suspected cases within their communities and churches.
The workshop was part of the Health Ministry's effort aimed at creating awareness and sensitization on spread of the deadly Ebola virus in the country.
Earlier, the Liberian Council of Churches called for a national fast and prayer as part of efforts to contain the virus. As of July 10, two new suspected cases were reported, bringing the cumulative cases (confirmed probable and suspected) to 137, including 64 confirmed cases.
Four new deaths were reported, bringing the total deaths to 85, including 40 confirmed cases. Liberia's Ebola case fatality rate is 71.6 percent.
This indicates that the situation is still volatile and requires community, religious and traditional leaders' support.
Ebola spared through physical contact with a victim of the disease. The virus also spreads through sweat, saliva, blood, touching the vomit or urine of somebody who is sick with Ebola.
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-outbreak-in-west-africa-now-the-largest-on-record/
Ebola outbreak in West Africa now the largest on record
AP
July 14, 2014, 8:43 AM
DAKAR, Senegal - Deep in the forests of southern Guinea, the first victims fell ill with high fevers. People assumed it was the perennial killer malaria and had no reason to fear touching the bodies, as is the custom in traditional funerals.
Some desperate relatives brought their loved ones to the distant capital in search of better medical care, unknowingly spreading what ultimately was discovered to be Ebola, one of the world's most deadly diseases.
Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever that can cause its victims to bleed from the ears and nose, had never before been seen in this part of West Africa where medical clinics are few and far between. The disease has turned up in at least two other countries - Liberia and Sierra Leone - and 539 deaths have been attributed to the outbreak that is now the largest on record.
The key to halting Ebola is isolating the sick, but fear and panic have sent some patients into hiding, complicating efforts to stop its spread. Ebola has reached the capitals of all three countries, and the World Health Organization reported 44 new cases including 21 deaths on Friday.
There has been "a gross misjudgment across the board in gauging the severity and scale of damage the current Ebola outbreak can unleash," the aid group Plan International warned earlier this month.
"There are no cases from outside Africa to date. The threat of it spreading though is very much there," said Dr. Unni Krishnan, head of disaster preparedness and response for the aid group.
Preachers are calling for divine intervention, and panicked residents in remote areas have on multiple occasions attacked the very health workers sent to help them. In one town in Sierra Leone, residents partially burned down a treatment center over fears that the drugs given to victims were actually causing the disease.
Activists are trying to spread awareness in the countryside where literacy is low, even through a song penned about Ebola.
"It has no cure, but it can be prevented; let us fight it together. Let's protect ourselves, our families and our nation," sings the chorus.
"Do not touch people with the signs of Ebola," sings musician and activist Juli Endee. "Don't eat bush meat. Don't play with monkey and baboons. Plums that bats have bitten or half-eaten, don't eat them."
Guinea first notified WHO about the emergence of Ebola in March and soon after cases were reported in neighboring Liberia. Two months later there were hopes that the outbreak was waning, but then people began falling ill in Sierra Leone.
Doctors Without Borders says it fears the number of patients now being treated in Sierra Leone could be "just the tip of the iceberg." Nearly 40 were reported in a single village in the country's east.
"We're under massive time pressure: The longer it takes to find and follow up with people who have come in contact with sick people, the more difficult it will be to control the outbreak," said Anja Wolz, emergency coordinator for the group, also referred to by its French name Medecins Sans Frontieres.
This Ebola virus is a new strain and did not spread to West Africa from previous outbreaks in Uganda and Congo, researchers say. Many believe it is linked to the human consumption of bats carrying the virus. Many of those who have fallen ill in the current outbreak are family members of victims and the health workers who treated them.
There is no cure and no vaccine for Ebola, and those who have survived managed to do so only by receiving rehydration and other supportive treatment. Ebola's high fatality rate means many of those brought to health clinics have been merely kept as comfortable as possible in quarantine as they await death. As a result, some families have been afraid to take sick loved ones to the clinics.
"Let this warning go out: Anyone found or reported to be holding suspected Ebola cases in homes or prayer houses can be prosecuted under the law of Liberia," President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stated recently.
Her comments came just days after Sierra Leone issued a similar warning, saying some patients had discharged themselves from the hospital and had gone into hiding.
At the airport in Guinea's capital, departing passengers must undergo temperature screening, and those with a fever are pulled aside for further evaluation. Still, the stigma of Ebola follows Guineans well outside the region.
"The police treated us like we were aliens. They said they didn't want us in their country because of the disease affecting Guinea," says Tafsir Sow, a businessman who was briefly detained at the airport in Casablanca, Morocco before continuing on to Paris. "I had tears in my eyes."
Still, WHO health officials are hopeful they will be able to get the situation under control in the next several weeks. A recent conference in the capital of Ghana brought together health authorities from across the affected areas, and the countries agreed on a common approach to fight Ebola.
"When you have it spread, of course it's moving in the wrong direction," said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director-general for health security and environment. "You want to see the number of infections going down. So we really have to redouble our efforts. But saying that it's out of control makes it sound like there are no solutions. This is a virus for which there are very clear solutions."
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-outbreak-in-west-africa-now-the-largest-on-record/
Ebola outbreak in West Africa now the largest on record
AP
July 14, 2014, 8:43 AM
DAKAR, Senegal - Deep in the forests of southern Guinea, the first victims fell ill with high fevers. People assumed it was the perennial killer malaria and had no reason to fear touching the bodies, as is the custom in traditional funerals.
Some desperate relatives brought their loved ones to the distant capital in search of better medical care, unknowingly spreading what ultimately was discovered to be Ebola, one of the world's most deadly diseases.
Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever that can cause its victims to bleed from the ears and nose, had never before been seen in this part of West Africa where medical clinics are few and far between. The disease has turned up in at least two other countries - Liberia and Sierra Leone - and 539 deaths have been attributed to the outbreak that is now the largest on record.
The key to halting Ebola is isolating the sick, but fear and panic have sent some patients into hiding, complicating efforts to stop its spread. Ebola has reached the capitals of all three countries, and the World Health Organization reported 44 new cases including 21 deaths on Friday.
There has been "a gross misjudgment across the board in gauging the severity and scale of damage the current Ebola outbreak can unleash," the aid group Plan International warned earlier this month.
"There are no cases from outside Africa to date. The threat of it spreading though is very much there," said Dr. Unni Krishnan, head of disaster preparedness and response for the aid group.
Preachers are calling for divine intervention, and panicked residents in remote areas have on multiple occasions attacked the very health workers sent to help them. In one town in Sierra Leone, residents partially burned down a treatment center over fears that the drugs given to victims were actually causing the disease.
Activists are trying to spread awareness in the countryside where literacy is low, even through a song penned about Ebola.
"It has no cure, but it can be prevented; let us fight it together. Let's protect ourselves, our families and our nation," sings the chorus.
"Do not touch people with the signs of Ebola," sings musician and activist Juli Endee. "Don't eat bush meat. Don't play with monkey and baboons. Plums that bats have bitten or half-eaten, don't eat them."
Guinea first notified WHO about the emergence of Ebola in March and soon after cases were reported in neighboring Liberia. Two months later there were hopes that the outbreak was waning, but then people began falling ill in Sierra Leone.
Doctors Without Borders says it fears the number of patients now being treated in Sierra Leone could be "just the tip of the iceberg." Nearly 40 were reported in a single village in the country's east.
"We're under massive time pressure: The longer it takes to find and follow up with people who have come in contact with sick people, the more difficult it will be to control the outbreak," said Anja Wolz, emergency coordinator for the group, also referred to by its French name Medecins Sans Frontieres.
This Ebola virus is a new strain and did not spread to West Africa from previous outbreaks in Uganda and Congo, researchers say. Many believe it is linked to the human consumption of bats carrying the virus. Many of those who have fallen ill in the current outbreak are family members of victims and the health workers who treated them.
There is no cure and no vaccine for Ebola, and those who have survived managed to do so only by receiving rehydration and other supportive treatment. Ebola's high fatality rate means many of those brought to health clinics have been merely kept as comfortable as possible in quarantine as they await death. As a result, some families have been afraid to take sick loved ones to the clinics.
"Let this warning go out: Anyone found or reported to be holding suspected Ebola cases in homes or prayer houses can be prosecuted under the law of Liberia," President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stated recently.
Her comments came just days after Sierra Leone issued a similar warning, saying some patients had discharged themselves from the hospital and had gone into hiding.
At the airport in Guinea's capital, departing passengers must undergo temperature screening, and those with a fever are pulled aside for further evaluation. Still, the stigma of Ebola follows Guineans well outside the region.
"The police treated us like we were aliens. They said they didn't want us in their country because of the disease affecting Guinea," says Tafsir Sow, a businessman who was briefly detained at the airport in Casablanca, Morocco before continuing on to Paris. "I had tears in my eyes."
Still, WHO health officials are hopeful they will be able to get the situation under control in the next several weeks. A recent conference in the capital of Ghana brought together health authorities from across the affected areas, and the countries agreed on a common approach to fight Ebola.
"When you have it spread, of course it's moving in the wrong direction," said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director-general for health security and environment. "You want to see the number of infections going down. So we really have to redouble our efforts. But saying that it's out of control makes it sound like there are no solutions. This is a virus for which there are very clear solutions."
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://who.int/features/2014/emergency-response-ebola/en/
Accelerating WHO emergency response to Ebola outbreak: Contact tracing
July 2014
It was humid, muddy and raining when WHO staff approached a compound in heavily populated New Kru Town, outside Monrovia, Liberia to look for people who have had contact with people infected with Ebola. A WHO technical adviser from Rwanda, sent in to help the zone coordinator, spoke to a woman who had cared for an Ebola patient. She understood the need to be monitored for the disease, but another man with whom the team talked denied knowing anyone with Ebola and refused further contact with the team.
As new cases of Ebola virus disease continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, WHO’s response is accelerating in vital areas crucial to control the outbreak.
People in close contact with Ebola patients
One of the most important of these areas is contact tracing, or finding persons who have been in close contact with persons infected with Ebola, monitoring them to see if they have become infected, and providing them with education and support.
The response by WHO and its partners to stop transmission of the Ebola virus is accelerating by scaling up effective outbreak control measures and preventing its further spread, as urged by Health Ministers from 11 West African countries in a new strategy approved in July. Health authorities are concerned because Ebola continues to be transmitted in communities and in health-care settings, and it has appeared in cities as well as rural and border areas.
Ebola background
The 3 affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) have reported some 930 cases of Ebola, with about 580 deaths, and new cases continue to be reported. The disease, which causes severe haemorrhaging and can kill up to 90% of those infected, is spread by direct contact with the blood and body fluids of infected animals or people.
WHO, the Global Alert and Response Network (GOARN), and its partners are providing guidance and support and have deployed teams of experts to West African countries, including epidemiologists to work with the countries in surveillance and monitoring of the outbreak and laboratory experts to support mobile field laboratories for early confirmation of Ebola cases. Also deployed are clinical management experts to help health-care facilities treat affected patients, infection and prevention control experts to help the countries stop community and health-care facility transmission of the virus, and logisticians to dispatch needed equipment and materials.
Delivering appropriate messages
In addition, social mobilization and risk communications teams are working in the 3 countries to help health officials deliver appropriate messages about how to report, handle, and treat Ebola cases.
One example of these accelerated activities has been contact tracing in Monrovia and in New Kru Town, Montserrado county, Liberia, where 107 community volunteers are working as tracers, in teams with 33 supervisors and a coordinator, to look for persons who may have come into contact with infected persons.
WHO Technical Adviser Dr Andre Rusanganwa and zone coordinator for Ebola surveillance Emmanuel Lassana joined the contact tracers visiting areas in Monrovia to look for individuals who have come in contact with patients positive for Ebola virus infection. In New Kru Town, individuals who were in contact with patients were identified and given support based on the awareness they may have been exposed and must be monitored.
http://who.int/features/2014/emergency-response-ebola/en/
Accelerating WHO emergency response to Ebola outbreak: Contact tracing
July 2014
It was humid, muddy and raining when WHO staff approached a compound in heavily populated New Kru Town, outside Monrovia, Liberia to look for people who have had contact with people infected with Ebola. A WHO technical adviser from Rwanda, sent in to help the zone coordinator, spoke to a woman who had cared for an Ebola patient. She understood the need to be monitored for the disease, but another man with whom the team talked denied knowing anyone with Ebola and refused further contact with the team.
As new cases of Ebola virus disease continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, WHO’s response is accelerating in vital areas crucial to control the outbreak.
People in close contact with Ebola patients
One of the most important of these areas is contact tracing, or finding persons who have been in close contact with persons infected with Ebola, monitoring them to see if they have become infected, and providing them with education and support.
The response by WHO and its partners to stop transmission of the Ebola virus is accelerating by scaling up effective outbreak control measures and preventing its further spread, as urged by Health Ministers from 11 West African countries in a new strategy approved in July. Health authorities are concerned because Ebola continues to be transmitted in communities and in health-care settings, and it has appeared in cities as well as rural and border areas.
Ebola background
The 3 affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) have reported some 930 cases of Ebola, with about 580 deaths, and new cases continue to be reported. The disease, which causes severe haemorrhaging and can kill up to 90% of those infected, is spread by direct contact with the blood and body fluids of infected animals or people.
WHO, the Global Alert and Response Network (GOARN), and its partners are providing guidance and support and have deployed teams of experts to West African countries, including epidemiologists to work with the countries in surveillance and monitoring of the outbreak and laboratory experts to support mobile field laboratories for early confirmation of Ebola cases. Also deployed are clinical management experts to help health-care facilities treat affected patients, infection and prevention control experts to help the countries stop community and health-care facility transmission of the virus, and logisticians to dispatch needed equipment and materials.
Delivering appropriate messages
In addition, social mobilization and risk communications teams are working in the 3 countries to help health officials deliver appropriate messages about how to report, handle, and treat Ebola cases.
One example of these accelerated activities has been contact tracing in Monrovia and in New Kru Town, Montserrado county, Liberia, where 107 community volunteers are working as tracers, in teams with 33 supervisors and a coordinator, to look for persons who may have come into contact with infected persons.
WHO Technical Adviser Dr Andre Rusanganwa and zone coordinator for Ebola surveillance Emmanuel Lassana joined the contact tracers visiting areas in Monrovia to look for individuals who have come in contact with patients positive for Ebola virus infection. In New Kru Town, individuals who were in contact with patients were identified and given support based on the awareness they may have been exposed and must be monitored.
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
Ebola virus disease
Fact sheet N°103
Updated April 2014
Key facts
Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%.
EVD outbreaks occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.
The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus.
Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. No licensed specific treatment or vaccine is available for use in people or animals.
Ebola first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter was in a village situated near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.
Genus Ebolavirus is 1 of 3 members of the Filoviridae family (filovirus), along with genus Marburgvirus and genus Cuevavirus. Genus Ebolavirus comprises 5 distinct species:
Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV)
Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV)
Reston ebolavirus (RESTV)
Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV)
Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV).
BDBV, EBOV, and SUDV have been associated with large EVD outbreaks in Africa, whereas RESTV and TAFV have not. The RESTV species, found in Philippines and the People’s Republic of China, can infect humans, but no illness or death in humans from this species has been reported to date.
Transmission
Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.
Ebola then spreads in the community through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids. Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola. Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness.
Health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed EVD. This has occurred through close contact with patients when infection control precautions are not strictly practiced.
Among workers in contact with monkeys or pigs infected with Reston ebolavirus, several infections have been documented in people who were clinically asymptomatic. Thus, RESTV appears less capable of causing disease in humans than other Ebola species.
However, the only available evidence available comes from healthy adult males. It would be premature to extrapolate the health effects of the virus to all population groups, such as immuno-compromised persons, persons with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women and children. More studies of RESTV are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn about the pathogenicity and virulence of this virus in humans.
Signs and symptoms
EVD is a severe acute viral illness often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes.
People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. Ebola virus was isolated from semen 61 days after onset of illness in a man who was infected in a laboratory.
The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is 2 to 21 days.
Diagnosis
Other diseases that should be ruled out before a diagnosis of EVD can be made include: malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, cholera, leptospirosis, plague, rickettsiosis, relapsing fever, meningitis, hepatitis and other viral haemorrhagic fevers.
Ebola virus infections can be diagnosed definitively in a laboratory through several types of tests:
antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
antigen detection tests
serum neutralization test
reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay
electron microscopy
virus isolation by cell culture.
Samples from patients are an extreme biohazard risk; testing should be conducted under maximum biological containment conditions.
Vaccine and treatment
No licensed vaccine for EVD is available. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use.
Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. Patients are frequently dehydrated and require oral rehydration with solutions containing electrolytes or intravenous fluids.
No specific treatment is available. New drug therapies are being evaluated.
Natural host of Ebola virus
In Africa, fruit bats, particularly species of the genera Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti and Myonycteris torquata, are considered possible natural hosts for Ebola virus. As a result, the geographic distribution of Ebolaviruses may overlap with the range of the fruit bats.
Ebola virus in animals
Although non-human primates have been a source of infection for humans, they are not thought to be the reservoir but rather an accidental host like human beings. Since 1994, Ebola outbreaks from the EBOV and TAFV species have been observed in chimpanzees and gorillas.
RESTV has caused severe EVD outbreaks in macaque monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) farmed in Philippines and detected in monkeys imported into the USA in 1989, 1990 and 1996, and in monkeys imported to Italy from Philippines in 1992.
Since 2008, RESTV viruses have been detected during several outbreaks of a deadly disease in pigs in People’s Republic of China and Philippines. Asymptomatic infection in pigs has been reported and experimental inoculations have shown that RESTV cannot cause disease in pigs.
Prevention and control
Controlling Reston ebolavirus in domestic animals
No animal vaccine against RESTV is available. Routine cleaning and disinfection of pig or monkey farms (with sodium hypochlorite or other detergents) should be effective in inactivating the virus.
If an outbreak is suspected, the premises should be quarantined immediately. Culling of infected animals, with close supervision of burial or incineration of carcasses, may be necessary to reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission. Restricting or banning the movement of animals from infected farms to other areas can reduce the spread of the disease.
As RESTV outbreaks in pigs and monkeys have preceded human infections, the establishment of an active animal health surveillance system to detect new cases is essential in providing early warning for veterinary and human public health authorities.
Reducing the risk of Ebola infection in people
In the absence of effective treatment and a human vaccine, raising awareness of the risk factors for Ebola infection and the protective measures individuals can take is the only way to reduce human infection and death.
In Africa, during EVD outbreaks, educational public health messages for risk reduction should focus on several factors:
Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat. Animals should be handled with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing. Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission in the community arising from direct or close contact with infected patients, particularly with their bodily fluids. Close physical contact with Ebola patients should be avoided. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at home.
Communities affected by Ebola should inform the population about the nature of the disease and about outbreak containment measures, including burial of the dead. People who have died from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried.
Pig farms in Africa can play a role in the amplification of infection because of the presence of fruit bats on these farms. Appropriate biosecurity measures should be in place to limit transmission. For RESTV, educational public health messages should focus on reducing the risk of pig-to-human transmission as a result of unsafe animal husbandry and slaughtering practices, and unsafe consumption of fresh blood, raw milk or animal tissue. Gloves and other appropriate protective clothing should be worn when handling sick animals or their tissues and when slaughtering animals. In regions where RESTV has been reported in pigs, all animal products (blood, meat and milk) should be thoroughly cooked before eating.
Controlling infection in health-care settings
Human-to-human transmission of the Ebola virus is primarily associated with direct or indirect contact with blood and body fluids. Transmission to health-care workers has been reported when appropriate infection control measures have not been observed.
It is not always possible to identify patients with EBV early because initial symptoms may be non-specific. For this reason, it is important that health-care workers apply standard precautions consistently with all patients – regardless of their diagnosis – in all work practices at all times. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (according to the risk of splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe burial practices.
Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus should apply, in addition to standard precautions, other infection control measures to avoid any exposure to the patient’s blood and body fluids and direct unprotected contact with the possibly contaminated environment. When in close contact (within 1 metre) of patients with EBV, health-care workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures).
Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from suspected human and animal Ebola cases for diagnosis should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories.
WHO response
WHO provides expertise and documentation to support disease investigation and control.
Recommendations for infection control while providing care to patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola haemorrhagic fever are provided in: Interim infection control recommendations for care of patients with suspected or confirmed Filovirus (Ebola, Marburg) haemorrhagic fever, March 2008. This document is currently being updated.
WHO has created an aide–memoire on standard precautions in health care (currently being updated). Standard precautions are meant to reduce the risk of transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens. If universally applied, the precautions would help prevent most transmission through exposure to blood and body fluids.
Standard precautions are recommended in the care and treatment of all patients regardless of their perceived or confirmed infectious status. They include the basic level of infection control—hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment to avoid direct contact with blood and body fluids, prevention of needle stick and injuries from other sharp instruments, and a set of environmental controls.
Table: Chronology of previous Ebola virus disease outbreaks
Year Country Ebolavirus species Cases Deaths Case fatality
2012 Democratic Republic of Congo Bundibugyo 57 29 51%
2012 Uganda Sudan 7 4 57%
2012 Uganda Sudan 24 17 71%
2011 Uganda Sudan 1 1 100%
2008 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 32 14 44%
2007 Uganda Bundibugyo 149 37 25%
2007 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 264 187 71%
2005 Congo Zaire 12 10 83%
2004 Sudan Sudan 17 7 41%
2003 (Nov-Dec) Congo Zaire 35 29 83%
2003 (Jan-Apr) Congo Zaire 143 128 90%
2001-2002 Congo Zaire 59 44 75%
2001-2002 Gabon Zaire 65 53 82%
2000 Uganda Sudan 425 224 53%
1996 South Africa (ex-Gabon) Zaire 1 1 100%
1996 (Jul-Dec) Gabon Zaire 60 45 75%
1996 (Jan-Apr) Gabon Zaire 31 21 68%
1995 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 315 254 81%
1994 Cote d'Ivoire Taï Forest 1 0 0%
1994 Gabon Zaire 52 31 60%
1979 Sudan Sudan 34 22 65%
1977 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 1 1 100%
1976 Sudan Sudan 284 151 53%
1976 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 318 280 88%
For more information contact:
WHO Media centre
Telephone: +41 22 791 2222
E-mail: mediainquiries@who.int
http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
Ebola virus disease
Fact sheet N°103
Updated April 2014
Key facts
Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%.
EVD outbreaks occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.
The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus.
Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. No licensed specific treatment or vaccine is available for use in people or animals.
Ebola first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter was in a village situated near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.
Genus Ebolavirus is 1 of 3 members of the Filoviridae family (filovirus), along with genus Marburgvirus and genus Cuevavirus. Genus Ebolavirus comprises 5 distinct species:
Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV)
Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV)
Reston ebolavirus (RESTV)
Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV)
Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV).
BDBV, EBOV, and SUDV have been associated with large EVD outbreaks in Africa, whereas RESTV and TAFV have not. The RESTV species, found in Philippines and the People’s Republic of China, can infect humans, but no illness or death in humans from this species has been reported to date.
Transmission
Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.
Ebola then spreads in the community through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids. Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola. Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness.
Health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed EVD. This has occurred through close contact with patients when infection control precautions are not strictly practiced.
Among workers in contact with monkeys or pigs infected with Reston ebolavirus, several infections have been documented in people who were clinically asymptomatic. Thus, RESTV appears less capable of causing disease in humans than other Ebola species.
However, the only available evidence available comes from healthy adult males. It would be premature to extrapolate the health effects of the virus to all population groups, such as immuno-compromised persons, persons with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women and children. More studies of RESTV are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn about the pathogenicity and virulence of this virus in humans.
Signs and symptoms
EVD is a severe acute viral illness often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes.
People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. Ebola virus was isolated from semen 61 days after onset of illness in a man who was infected in a laboratory.
The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is 2 to 21 days.
Diagnosis
Other diseases that should be ruled out before a diagnosis of EVD can be made include: malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, cholera, leptospirosis, plague, rickettsiosis, relapsing fever, meningitis, hepatitis and other viral haemorrhagic fevers.
Ebola virus infections can be diagnosed definitively in a laboratory through several types of tests:
antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
antigen detection tests
serum neutralization test
reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay
electron microscopy
virus isolation by cell culture.
Samples from patients are an extreme biohazard risk; testing should be conducted under maximum biological containment conditions.
Vaccine and treatment
No licensed vaccine for EVD is available. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use.
Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. Patients are frequently dehydrated and require oral rehydration with solutions containing electrolytes or intravenous fluids.
No specific treatment is available. New drug therapies are being evaluated.
Natural host of Ebola virus
In Africa, fruit bats, particularly species of the genera Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti and Myonycteris torquata, are considered possible natural hosts for Ebola virus. As a result, the geographic distribution of Ebolaviruses may overlap with the range of the fruit bats.
Ebola virus in animals
Although non-human primates have been a source of infection for humans, they are not thought to be the reservoir but rather an accidental host like human beings. Since 1994, Ebola outbreaks from the EBOV and TAFV species have been observed in chimpanzees and gorillas.
RESTV has caused severe EVD outbreaks in macaque monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) farmed in Philippines and detected in monkeys imported into the USA in 1989, 1990 and 1996, and in monkeys imported to Italy from Philippines in 1992.
Since 2008, RESTV viruses have been detected during several outbreaks of a deadly disease in pigs in People’s Republic of China and Philippines. Asymptomatic infection in pigs has been reported and experimental inoculations have shown that RESTV cannot cause disease in pigs.
Prevention and control
Controlling Reston ebolavirus in domestic animals
No animal vaccine against RESTV is available. Routine cleaning and disinfection of pig or monkey farms (with sodium hypochlorite or other detergents) should be effective in inactivating the virus.
If an outbreak is suspected, the premises should be quarantined immediately. Culling of infected animals, with close supervision of burial or incineration of carcasses, may be necessary to reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission. Restricting or banning the movement of animals from infected farms to other areas can reduce the spread of the disease.
As RESTV outbreaks in pigs and monkeys have preceded human infections, the establishment of an active animal health surveillance system to detect new cases is essential in providing early warning for veterinary and human public health authorities.
Reducing the risk of Ebola infection in people
In the absence of effective treatment and a human vaccine, raising awareness of the risk factors for Ebola infection and the protective measures individuals can take is the only way to reduce human infection and death.
In Africa, during EVD outbreaks, educational public health messages for risk reduction should focus on several factors:
Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat. Animals should be handled with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing. Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission in the community arising from direct or close contact with infected patients, particularly with their bodily fluids. Close physical contact with Ebola patients should be avoided. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at home.
Communities affected by Ebola should inform the population about the nature of the disease and about outbreak containment measures, including burial of the dead. People who have died from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried.
Pig farms in Africa can play a role in the amplification of infection because of the presence of fruit bats on these farms. Appropriate biosecurity measures should be in place to limit transmission. For RESTV, educational public health messages should focus on reducing the risk of pig-to-human transmission as a result of unsafe animal husbandry and slaughtering practices, and unsafe consumption of fresh blood, raw milk or animal tissue. Gloves and other appropriate protective clothing should be worn when handling sick animals or their tissues and when slaughtering animals. In regions where RESTV has been reported in pigs, all animal products (blood, meat and milk) should be thoroughly cooked before eating.
Controlling infection in health-care settings
Human-to-human transmission of the Ebola virus is primarily associated with direct or indirect contact with blood and body fluids. Transmission to health-care workers has been reported when appropriate infection control measures have not been observed.
It is not always possible to identify patients with EBV early because initial symptoms may be non-specific. For this reason, it is important that health-care workers apply standard precautions consistently with all patients – regardless of their diagnosis – in all work practices at all times. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (according to the risk of splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe burial practices.
Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus should apply, in addition to standard precautions, other infection control measures to avoid any exposure to the patient’s blood and body fluids and direct unprotected contact with the possibly contaminated environment. When in close contact (within 1 metre) of patients with EBV, health-care workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures).
Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from suspected human and animal Ebola cases for diagnosis should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories.
WHO response
WHO provides expertise and documentation to support disease investigation and control.
Recommendations for infection control while providing care to patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola haemorrhagic fever are provided in: Interim infection control recommendations for care of patients with suspected or confirmed Filovirus (Ebola, Marburg) haemorrhagic fever, March 2008. This document is currently being updated.
WHO has created an aide–memoire on standard precautions in health care (currently being updated). Standard precautions are meant to reduce the risk of transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens. If universally applied, the precautions would help prevent most transmission through exposure to blood and body fluids.
Standard precautions are recommended in the care and treatment of all patients regardless of their perceived or confirmed infectious status. They include the basic level of infection control—hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment to avoid direct contact with blood and body fluids, prevention of needle stick and injuries from other sharp instruments, and a set of environmental controls.
Table: Chronology of previous Ebola virus disease outbreaks
Year Country Ebolavirus species Cases Deaths Case fatality
2012 Democratic Republic of Congo Bundibugyo 57 29 51%
2012 Uganda Sudan 7 4 57%
2012 Uganda Sudan 24 17 71%
2011 Uganda Sudan 1 1 100%
2008 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 32 14 44%
2007 Uganda Bundibugyo 149 37 25%
2007 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 264 187 71%
2005 Congo Zaire 12 10 83%
2004 Sudan Sudan 17 7 41%
2003 (Nov-Dec) Congo Zaire 35 29 83%
2003 (Jan-Apr) Congo Zaire 143 128 90%
2001-2002 Congo Zaire 59 44 75%
2001-2002 Gabon Zaire 65 53 82%
2000 Uganda Sudan 425 224 53%
1996 South Africa (ex-Gabon) Zaire 1 1 100%
1996 (Jul-Dec) Gabon Zaire 60 45 75%
1996 (Jan-Apr) Gabon Zaire 31 21 68%
1995 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 315 254 81%
1994 Cote d'Ivoire Taï Forest 1 0 0%
1994 Gabon Zaire 52 31 60%
1979 Sudan Sudan 34 22 65%
1977 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 1 1 100%
1976 Sudan Sudan 284 151 53%
1976 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 318 280 88%
For more information contact:
WHO Media centre
Telephone: +41 22 791 2222
E-mail: mediainquiries@who.int
Medical Maven
Deceased
Damn shame this did not come along a few decades back before we thoroughly embarrassed ourselves.
Sometimes I even think that the U.S. would have been better off if the Cuban Missile Crisis had gone bad, ending up sort of like Alas, Babylon, (the book). It would have stemmed the rot, and The Great Society would have never been launched.
Now no matter what happens we have made ourselves a joke. What an ignominious end for such a grand beginning, even if we beat off the Marxists, the Crony Capitalists, the Free Shit Army, and the Flood of Illegals through some miracle.
We are now living in an outhouse, and the stench of corruption and unbridled license knocks us over every day. What must it be like to live in D.C.?
They probably think it smells sweet, rooting their noses up every furrow that they can find.
For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN0FL0GD20140716?sp=true
Death toll from West Africa Ebola outbreak jumps to 603 - WHO
Wed Jul 16, 2014 6:35am GMT
DAKAR/HAVANA (Reuters) - The death toll from the world's worst ever Ebola outbreak in West Africa has risen to 603 since February, with at least 68 deaths reported from three countries in the region in the last week alone, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.
WHO said there were 85 new cases between July 8-12, highlighting continued high levels of transmission. International and local medics were struggling to get access to communities as many people feared outsiders were spreading rather than fighting Ebola.
"It's very difficult for us to get into communities where there is hostility to outsiders," WHO spokesman Dan Epstein told a news briefing in Geneva. "We still face rumours, and suspicion and hostility ... People are isolated, they're afraid, they're scared."
Sierra Leone recorded the highest number of deaths, which include confirmed, probable and suspect cases of Ebola, with 52. Liberia reported 13 and Guinea 3, according to the WHO figures.
Epstein said the main focus in the three countries is tracing people who have been exposed to others with Ebola and monitoring them for the 21-day incubation period to see if they were infected.
"It's probably going to be several months before we are able to get a grip on this epidemic," Epstein added.
Ebola causes fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea and was first detected in then Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo, in the mid-1970s. Spread through contact with blood and body fluids of infected people or animals, it is one of the world's deadliest viruses, killing up to 90 percent of those infected.
Speaking from Havana, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called the outbreak the world's worst ever by number of cases, saying, "The situation is serious but not out of control yet."
The WHO was mobilising political, religious and local leaders in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to create a better welcome for medical professionals attempting to treat victims, Chan said, while also coordinating responses from the three affected countries and eight neighbours that have experienced Ebola.
"Sometimes the challenge for us is countries like to do disease control their way. But I think this is one such situation where countries must come together and adopt a similar approach to deal with a very dangerous disease," Chan said.
The organization was also consulting with anthropologies to help suspend local customs such as eating bush meat or hugging and kissing Ebola victims at their funerals, which can transmit the disease, Chan said.
The outbreak started in Guinea's remote southeast but has spread across the region's porous borders despite aid workers scrambling to help some of the world's weakest health systems tackle a deadly, infectious disease.
In Sierra Leone and Guinea, experts believe scores of patients are being hidden as relatives and friends believe hospitalisation is a "death sentence". In Liberia, health workers have been chased away by armed gangs.
© Thomson Reuters 2014 All rights reserved
Posted for fair use.....
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN0FL0GD20140716?sp=true
Death toll from West Africa Ebola outbreak jumps to 603 - WHO
Wed Jul 16, 2014 6:35am GMT
DAKAR/HAVANA (Reuters) - The death toll from the world's worst ever Ebola outbreak in West Africa has risen to 603 since February, with at least 68 deaths reported from three countries in the region in the last week alone, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.
WHO said there were 85 new cases between July 8-12, highlighting continued high levels of transmission. International and local medics were struggling to get access to communities as many people feared outsiders were spreading rather than fighting Ebola.
"It's very difficult for us to get into communities where there is hostility to outsiders," WHO spokesman Dan Epstein told a news briefing in Geneva. "We still face rumours, and suspicion and hostility ... People are isolated, they're afraid, they're scared."
Sierra Leone recorded the highest number of deaths, which include confirmed, probable and suspect cases of Ebola, with 52. Liberia reported 13 and Guinea 3, according to the WHO figures.
Epstein said the main focus in the three countries is tracing people who have been exposed to others with Ebola and monitoring them for the 21-day incubation period to see if they were infected.
"It's probably going to be several months before we are able to get a grip on this epidemic," Epstein added.
Ebola causes fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea and was first detected in then Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo, in the mid-1970s. Spread through contact with blood and body fluids of infected people or animals, it is one of the world's deadliest viruses, killing up to 90 percent of those infected.
Speaking from Havana, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called the outbreak the world's worst ever by number of cases, saying, "The situation is serious but not out of control yet."
The WHO was mobilising political, religious and local leaders in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to create a better welcome for medical professionals attempting to treat victims, Chan said, while also coordinating responses from the three affected countries and eight neighbours that have experienced Ebola.
"Sometimes the challenge for us is countries like to do disease control their way. But I think this is one such situation where countries must come together and adopt a similar approach to deal with a very dangerous disease," Chan said.
The organization was also consulting with anthropologies to help suspend local customs such as eating bush meat or hugging and kissing Ebola victims at their funerals, which can transmit the disease, Chan said.
The outbreak started in Guinea's remote southeast but has spread across the region's porous borders despite aid workers scrambling to help some of the world's weakest health systems tackle a deadly, infectious disease.
In Sierra Leone and Guinea, experts believe scores of patients are being hidden as relatives and friends believe hospitalisation is a "death sentence". In Liberia, health workers have been chased away by armed gangs.
© Thomson Reuters 2014 All rights reserved
Doomer Doug
TB Fanatic
Drudgereport.com has a story saying there has been a 14 percent increase in both deaths and confirmed Ebola infections in the LAST WEEK! It is all over, gang.
The weekly increase of 14 percent, sustained over a two or three month period, based on a base level of roughly 1000 cases, gives you a monthly increase of 56 percent. This is over 500 new cases the first month. The second month you are getting close to doubling the original 1000 cases. Again, this is only the officially accepted so called "confirmed" cases. The real total of people infected with Ebola is likely in the 10,000, yes 10,000 range, right now. I expect it to be close to 250,000 by October at the latest. At that point, we will a complete social collapse in West Africa. After that, to quote the French King just before the French Revolution, "Apres moi, les deluge." After me, the deluge.
The weekly increase of 14 percent, sustained over a two or three month period, based on a base level of roughly 1000 cases, gives you a monthly increase of 56 percent. This is over 500 new cases the first month. The second month you are getting close to doubling the original 1000 cases. Again, this is only the officially accepted so called "confirmed" cases. The real total of people infected with Ebola is likely in the 10,000, yes 10,000 range, right now. I expect it to be close to 250,000 by October at the latest. At that point, we will a complete social collapse in West Africa. After that, to quote the French King just before the French Revolution, "Apres moi, les deluge." After me, the deluge.
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpr...liberia-who-losing-fight-to-contain-outbreak/
Ebola death toll tops 600, spreads to 4 more counties in Liberia – WHO losing fight to contain outbreak
Posted on July 19, 2014 by The Extinction Protocol
July 2014 – AFRICA - New cases of Ebola virus have been found in four additional counties in Liberia, raising the number of affected counties to seven out of a total of 15. The four counties are located in the west, center and east of Liberia, while the virus has affected mainly western parts of the county. Ebola has spread through several West African countries, including Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, since its latest outbreak in February. The death toll from the virus has surpassed 600 despite efforts by regional and international health experts to contain the epidemic. Guinea is the worst-hit country with more than 500 people losing their lives. Liberia has reported 105 deaths since the outbreak there in May, while 142 have lost their lives in Sierra Leone. There is currently no known cure for Ebola, a form of hemorrhagic fever whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. Some people in the affected communities reportedly believe that outsiders are spreading, rather than fighting, the Ebola outbreak. WHO noted on Tuesday that there have been at least 68 new deaths in the region from last week alone, bringing the death toll to 603 since February.
The virus has continued its spread throughout Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, despite local and international efforts to contain it. Epstein revealed that the main focus in the three countries currently is finding people who have been exposed to the disease, and placing them in a 21-day incubation period to see if they are infected. “It’s probably going to be several months before we are able to get a grip on this epidemic,” the WHO spokesman offered. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said about mobilizing leaders in West Africa to work together in welcoming medical professionals treating victims: “Sometimes the challenge for us is countries like to do disease control their way. But I think this is one such situation where countries must come together and adopt a similar approach to deal with a very dangerous disease.” The virus, which was first discovered in 1976, is known to have a 90 percent death rate for those infected. “The situation in West Africa should be a wake-up call to recognize that this weakening of this institution on which we all depend is not in anybody’s interest,” Scott Dowell, director of disease detection and emergency response at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a briefing in Washington. “In my view, there’s no way that WHO can respond in a way that we need it to.”
Ebola virus symptoms include a sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, which is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding, WHO explains. Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, which has sent a medical team to the region to offer help in battling the disease, said last week that it is directing efforts at an Ebola isolation center in Liberia, near the border with Guinea. “This is the largest outbreak of Ebola since it was first discovered in 1976 and it is the largest outbreak in Western Africa, with cases now showing up in national capital cities,” said Ken Isaacs, vice president of programs and government relations for Samaritan’s Purse. “Along with medical treatment, awareness and education are the keys to containing this outbreak.” Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham has added that Ebola is “one of the most deadly diseases in the world, and it must be contained as quickly as possible.” –Press TV LA Times
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpr...liberia-who-losing-fight-to-contain-outbreak/
Ebola death toll tops 600, spreads to 4 more counties in Liberia – WHO losing fight to contain outbreak
Posted on July 19, 2014 by The Extinction Protocol
July 2014 – AFRICA - New cases of Ebola virus have been found in four additional counties in Liberia, raising the number of affected counties to seven out of a total of 15. The four counties are located in the west, center and east of Liberia, while the virus has affected mainly western parts of the county. Ebola has spread through several West African countries, including Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, since its latest outbreak in February. The death toll from the virus has surpassed 600 despite efforts by regional and international health experts to contain the epidemic. Guinea is the worst-hit country with more than 500 people losing their lives. Liberia has reported 105 deaths since the outbreak there in May, while 142 have lost their lives in Sierra Leone. There is currently no known cure for Ebola, a form of hemorrhagic fever whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. Some people in the affected communities reportedly believe that outsiders are spreading, rather than fighting, the Ebola outbreak. WHO noted on Tuesday that there have been at least 68 new deaths in the region from last week alone, bringing the death toll to 603 since February.
The virus has continued its spread throughout Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, despite local and international efforts to contain it. Epstein revealed that the main focus in the three countries currently is finding people who have been exposed to the disease, and placing them in a 21-day incubation period to see if they are infected. “It’s probably going to be several months before we are able to get a grip on this epidemic,” the WHO spokesman offered. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said about mobilizing leaders in West Africa to work together in welcoming medical professionals treating victims: “Sometimes the challenge for us is countries like to do disease control their way. But I think this is one such situation where countries must come together and adopt a similar approach to deal with a very dangerous disease.” The virus, which was first discovered in 1976, is known to have a 90 percent death rate for those infected. “The situation in West Africa should be a wake-up call to recognize that this weakening of this institution on which we all depend is not in anybody’s interest,” Scott Dowell, director of disease detection and emergency response at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a briefing in Washington. “In my view, there’s no way that WHO can respond in a way that we need it to.”
Ebola virus symptoms include a sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, which is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding, WHO explains. Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, which has sent a medical team to the region to offer help in battling the disease, said last week that it is directing efforts at an Ebola isolation center in Liberia, near the border with Guinea. “This is the largest outbreak of Ebola since it was first discovered in 1976 and it is the largest outbreak in Western Africa, with cases now showing up in national capital cities,” said Ken Isaacs, vice president of programs and government relations for Samaritan’s Purse. “Along with medical treatment, awareness and education are the keys to containing this outbreak.” Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham has added that Ebola is “one of the most deadly diseases in the world, and it must be contained as quickly as possible.” –Press TV LA Times
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://who.int/csr/don/2014_07_15_ebola/en/
Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update
Disease outbreak news
15 July 2014
Epidemiology and surveillance
The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to closely monitor the evolving Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The current epidemic trend in Sierra Leone and Liberia remains serious, with high numbers of new cases and deaths being reported. Between 8 – 12 July 2014, 79 new cases, and 65 deaths were reported from Liberia and Sierra. In Liberia, 30 new cases and 13 deaths were reported, while in Sierra Leone, 49 new cases and 52 deaths have been reported. These include suspect, probable and laboratory confirmed cases. This trend indicates that a high level of transmission of the Ebola Virus continues to take place in the community. The epidemic situation in Guinea is being closely observed, with 6 new cases and 3 deaths reported between 8 – 12 July 2014. The respective Ministries of Health are working with WHO and partners to step up outbreak containment measures.
Health sector response
As a follow up action to the Emergency Ministerial meeting in Accra, the Regional Director, WHO African Region has taken a decision to re-deploy senior, technical, and support staff to the sub-regional coordination centre that is being established in Conakry, Guinea. The personnel re-assigned include a Director, Regional Advisors, epidemiologists, communication experts, social mobilization specialists, data managers, administrative officers, and other support staff. Preparation to establish the coordination centre is being finalized, with operations of the centre scheduled to be activated on 15 July 2014. The centre will act as a control and coordination platform, consolidating and harmonizing the technical support to the West African countries including assisting in resource mobilization.
The three affected countries, with support from WHO, have initiated the process of reviewing and updating the current EVD national response plans. This exercise will lead to the development of prioritized national operational plans, aligned to the inter-country strategy adopted by the Ministers of Health in Accra. The operational plan will clearly highlight priority interventions and map out the required resources (human, financial, and logistics) for effective implementation of the outbreak containment measures. In addition, these documents will be vital for mobilization of the additional resources.
WHO is currently supporting the affected countries to strengthen contact tracing, as one of the most effective outbreak containment measures. Early detection and prompt isolation of new EVD cases is requisite for interrupting secondary transmission of Ebola virus in the community. Therefore, WHO supported the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) of Liberia to identify and train 107 community volunteers and 33 supervisors. In Sierra Leone, a total of 296 community volunteers have been trained. The trained volunteers have been deployed in the affected communities to conduct contact tracing and ensure immediate evacuation of suspected EVD cases from the community. In response to a request from MOHSW Liberia, WHO, with support from the Government of the United States of America, has supplied personal protective equipment (PPE) for and other medical supplies to Liberia in order to ensure the safety of health-care workers in their response efforts. This donation, was handed over to MOHSW Liberia on 26 June and 3 July, included PPE appropriate for use by both clinical care and burial teams. On 14 July, additional supplies, including backpack sprayers and hand sprayers for disinfection as well disposal bags for biohazard wastes, were delivered to the country.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event.
Disease update
New cases and deaths attributable to EVD continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in the three West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Between 8 – 12 July, 2014, 85 new cases of EVD, including 68 new deaths, were reported from the three countries as follows: Guinea, 6 new cases and 3 deaths; Liberia, 30 new cases with 13 deaths; and Sierra Leone 49 new cases and 52 deaths. These numbers include laboratory-confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths of EVD.
As of 12 July 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the three countries stands at 964, including 603 deaths. The distribution and classification of the cases are as follows: Guinea, 406 cases (297 confirmed, 92 probable, and 17 suspected) and 304 deaths (198 confirmed, 92 probable, and 14 suspected); Liberia, 172 cases (70 confirmed, 41 probable, and 61 suspected) and 105 deaths (48 confirmed, 33 probable, and 24 suspected); and Sierra Leone, 386 cases (339 confirmed, 37 probable, and 10 suspected) and 194 deaths (151 confirmed, 38 probable, and 5 suspected).
Confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as of 12 July 2014
New (1) Confirmed Probable Suspect Totals by country
Guinea
Cases 6 297 92 17 406
Deaths 3 198 92 14 304
Liberia
Cases 30 70 41 61 172
Deaths 13 48 33 24 105
Sierra Leone
Cases 49 339 37 10 386
Deaths 52 151 38 5 194
Totals
Cases 85 706 170 88 964
Deaths 68 397 163 43 603
(1) New cases were reported between 8 and 12 July 2014.
The total number of cases is subject to change due to reclassification, retrospective investigation, consolidation of cases and laboratory data, and enhanced surveillance. Data reported in the Disease Outbreak News are based on best available information reported by Ministries of Health.
http://who.int/csr/don/2014_07_15_ebola/en/
Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update
Disease outbreak news
15 July 2014
Epidemiology and surveillance
The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to closely monitor the evolving Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The current epidemic trend in Sierra Leone and Liberia remains serious, with high numbers of new cases and deaths being reported. Between 8 – 12 July 2014, 79 new cases, and 65 deaths were reported from Liberia and Sierra. In Liberia, 30 new cases and 13 deaths were reported, while in Sierra Leone, 49 new cases and 52 deaths have been reported. These include suspect, probable and laboratory confirmed cases. This trend indicates that a high level of transmission of the Ebola Virus continues to take place in the community. The epidemic situation in Guinea is being closely observed, with 6 new cases and 3 deaths reported between 8 – 12 July 2014. The respective Ministries of Health are working with WHO and partners to step up outbreak containment measures.
Health sector response
As a follow up action to the Emergency Ministerial meeting in Accra, the Regional Director, WHO African Region has taken a decision to re-deploy senior, technical, and support staff to the sub-regional coordination centre that is being established in Conakry, Guinea. The personnel re-assigned include a Director, Regional Advisors, epidemiologists, communication experts, social mobilization specialists, data managers, administrative officers, and other support staff. Preparation to establish the coordination centre is being finalized, with operations of the centre scheduled to be activated on 15 July 2014. The centre will act as a control and coordination platform, consolidating and harmonizing the technical support to the West African countries including assisting in resource mobilization.
The three affected countries, with support from WHO, have initiated the process of reviewing and updating the current EVD national response plans. This exercise will lead to the development of prioritized national operational plans, aligned to the inter-country strategy adopted by the Ministers of Health in Accra. The operational plan will clearly highlight priority interventions and map out the required resources (human, financial, and logistics) for effective implementation of the outbreak containment measures. In addition, these documents will be vital for mobilization of the additional resources.
WHO is currently supporting the affected countries to strengthen contact tracing, as one of the most effective outbreak containment measures. Early detection and prompt isolation of new EVD cases is requisite for interrupting secondary transmission of Ebola virus in the community. Therefore, WHO supported the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) of Liberia to identify and train 107 community volunteers and 33 supervisors. In Sierra Leone, a total of 296 community volunteers have been trained. The trained volunteers have been deployed in the affected communities to conduct contact tracing and ensure immediate evacuation of suspected EVD cases from the community. In response to a request from MOHSW Liberia, WHO, with support from the Government of the United States of America, has supplied personal protective equipment (PPE) for and other medical supplies to Liberia in order to ensure the safety of health-care workers in their response efforts. This donation, was handed over to MOHSW Liberia on 26 June and 3 July, included PPE appropriate for use by both clinical care and burial teams. On 14 July, additional supplies, including backpack sprayers and hand sprayers for disinfection as well disposal bags for biohazard wastes, were delivered to the country.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event.
Disease update
New cases and deaths attributable to EVD continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in the three West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Between 8 – 12 July, 2014, 85 new cases of EVD, including 68 new deaths, were reported from the three countries as follows: Guinea, 6 new cases and 3 deaths; Liberia, 30 new cases with 13 deaths; and Sierra Leone 49 new cases and 52 deaths. These numbers include laboratory-confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths of EVD.
As of 12 July 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the three countries stands at 964, including 603 deaths. The distribution and classification of the cases are as follows: Guinea, 406 cases (297 confirmed, 92 probable, and 17 suspected) and 304 deaths (198 confirmed, 92 probable, and 14 suspected); Liberia, 172 cases (70 confirmed, 41 probable, and 61 suspected) and 105 deaths (48 confirmed, 33 probable, and 24 suspected); and Sierra Leone, 386 cases (339 confirmed, 37 probable, and 10 suspected) and 194 deaths (151 confirmed, 38 probable, and 5 suspected).
Confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as of 12 July 2014
New (1) Confirmed Probable Suspect Totals by country
Guinea
Cases 6 297 92 17 406
Deaths 3 198 92 14 304
Liberia
Cases 30 70 41 61 172
Deaths 13 48 33 24 105
Sierra Leone
Cases 49 339 37 10 386
Deaths 52 151 38 5 194
Totals
Cases 85 706 170 88 964
Deaths 68 397 163 43 603
(1) New cases were reported between 8 and 12 July 2014.
The total number of cases is subject to change due to reclassification, retrospective investigation, consolidation of cases and laboratory data, and enhanced surveillance. Data reported in the Disease Outbreak News are based on best available information reported by Ministries of Health.
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpr...contract-ebola-virus-while-treating-patients/
Four Liberian nurses contract Ebola virus while treating patients
Posted on July 21, 2014 by The Extinction Protocol
July 2014 – LIBERIA - Four Liberian health workers have been admitted after contracting the Ebola virus while treating patients. The health workers, all nurses, were working at Phebe Hospital in Suakoko, Bong County when they contracted the virus. This comes three weeks after a Ugandan senior surgeon succumbed to the Ebola in Liberia where he had been working for three years as a specialist. Dr. Samuel Muhumuza Mutoro died at the John F. Kennedy Medical Centre, Liberia’s biggest hospital in Monrovia where he was being treated. The West Africa countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are currently battling an outbreak of Ebola which is highly contagious with a high fatality rate. According to the Liberia News Agency, the nurses had been transferred to Monrovia where they are being treated and monitored by doctors. Dr. Jefferson Sibley, the medical director of Phebe Hospital said the nurses may have contracted the virus from an unidentified patient who was admitted at the hospital.
Uganda is on alert and monitoring neighboring DR Congo where suspected cases of Ebola have been reported in Aru, in the north eastern Orientale Province. The samples were taken to Kinshasa for testing, according to Dr. Asuman Lukwago, the ministry of health permanent secretary. Ebola symptoms include fever, bleeding through body openings, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, skin rash and red eyes. At the moment, there is no known cure for Ebola. The disease can be spread through direct physical contact with body fluids like saliva, blood, stool, vomit, urine and sweat from an infected person as well as linen used by a patient. It can also be spread through skin piercing instruments used by an infected person. –New Vision
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpr...contract-ebola-virus-while-treating-patients/
Four Liberian nurses contract Ebola virus while treating patients
Posted on July 21, 2014 by The Extinction Protocol
July 2014 – LIBERIA - Four Liberian health workers have been admitted after contracting the Ebola virus while treating patients. The health workers, all nurses, were working at Phebe Hospital in Suakoko, Bong County when they contracted the virus. This comes three weeks after a Ugandan senior surgeon succumbed to the Ebola in Liberia where he had been working for three years as a specialist. Dr. Samuel Muhumuza Mutoro died at the John F. Kennedy Medical Centre, Liberia’s biggest hospital in Monrovia where he was being treated. The West Africa countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are currently battling an outbreak of Ebola which is highly contagious with a high fatality rate. According to the Liberia News Agency, the nurses had been transferred to Monrovia where they are being treated and monitored by doctors. Dr. Jefferson Sibley, the medical director of Phebe Hospital said the nurses may have contracted the virus from an unidentified patient who was admitted at the hospital.
Uganda is on alert and monitoring neighboring DR Congo where suspected cases of Ebola have been reported in Aru, in the north eastern Orientale Province. The samples were taken to Kinshasa for testing, according to Dr. Asuman Lukwago, the ministry of health permanent secretary. Ebola symptoms include fever, bleeding through body openings, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, skin rash and red eyes. At the moment, there is no known cure for Ebola. The disease can be spread through direct physical contact with body fluids like saliva, blood, stool, vomit, urine and sweat from an infected person as well as linen used by a patient. It can also be spread through skin piercing instruments used by an infected person. –New Vision
almost ready
Inactive
Sierra Leone's chief Ebola doctor contracts the virus
The 39-year-old Sheik Umar Khan, hailed as a "national hero" by the health ministry, was leading the fight to control an outbreak that has killed 206 people in the West African country
World Bulletin/News Desk
The head doctor fighting the deadly tropical virus Ebola in Sierra Leone has himself caught the disease, the president's office said.
The 39-year-old Sheik Umar Khan, hailed as a "national hero" by the health ministry, was leading the fight to control an outbreak that has killed 206 people in the West African country.
There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola which can kill up to 90 percent of those infected, although the mortality rate of the current outbreak is lower at around 60 percent.
Across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, 632 people have died from the illness, according to the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) data, putting great strain on the health systems of some of Africa's poorest countries.
The WHO report, released on Saturday, showed that there were 19 new deaths and 67 new cases within the four days since its previous statement.
Khan, a Sierra Leonean virologist credited with treating more than 100 Ebola victims, has been transferred to a treatment ward run by medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, according to a statement released late on Tuesday by the president's office.
A source at the ward confirmed that the doctor was alive and receiving treatment, but gave no details of his condition.
Health Minister Miatta Kargbo called Khan a national hero and said she would "do anything and everything in my power to ensure he survives".
It was not immediately clear how Khan had caught the virus. His colleagues told Reuters that he was always meticulous with protection, wearing overalls, mask, gloves and special footwear.
During a Reuters visit to the Kenema treatment centre in eastern Sierra Leone in late June, Khan said he had installed a mirror in his office, which he called his "policeman", to check for holes or exposure before entering an isolation ward.
Nevertheless, Khan said he was worried about contracting Ebola. "I am afraid for my life, I must say, because I cherish my life," he said in an interview, showing no signs of ill health at the time.
"Health workers are prone to the disease because we are the first port of call for somebody who is sickened by disease. Even with the full protective clothing you put on, you are at risk."
Three days ago, three nurses working in the same Ebola treatment centre alongside Khan died from the disease.
The Ebola outbreak started in Guinea's remote southeast in February and has since spread across the region. Symptoms of the highly infectious disease are diarrhoea, vomiting and internal and external bleeding.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/health...leones-chief-ebola-doctor-contracts-the-virus
****
all of which begs the question, how easy can this thing spread? Suppose a nurse, or even 2 had contact with a patient before he/she knew ebola was suspected. Contact between nurses and also between nurses' "bodily fluids" and the Sheik, the nation's head physician, is likely to be scant or none.
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://who.int/csr/don/2014_07_17_ebola/en/
Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update
Disease outbreak news
17 July 2014
Epidemiology and surveillance
WHO continues to monitor the evolution of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. New cases and deaths attributed to EVD continue to be reported from the three countries. Between 13 – 14 July 2014, 18 new cases and 11 deaths were reported from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. These include suspect, probable, and laboratory-confirmed cases. The occurrence of community deaths, still being reported in Guinea, remains a serious concern. The respective Ministries of Health are working with WHO and its partners to step up outbreak containment measures.
Health sector response
The national authorities in the three affected countries are scaling up outbreak containment measures. In Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Health has established an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) aimed at ensuring effective coordination and accelerating implementation of the EVD outbreak response. The EOC is chaired by the Minister of Health and co-chaired by the WHO Representative for Sierra Leone, with members including heads of the different sub-committees of the task force, other senior staff, and key partners. The EOC will oversee the development of the prioritized operational plan in line with the Accra inter-country strategy, ensure that priority interventions are implemented as planned, and streamline communication and information flow.
In Guinea, a high level political delegation comprised of the President of the National Assembly, the Ministers of Health and Communication, and senior government officials conducted a 3-day field visit to Guéckédou, from 14 – 17 July 2014. Outbreak response teams in Guéckédou, where community deaths continue to be reported, encountered resistance and apprehension from the communities. The delegation engaged local and opinion leaders in order to build a relationship of trust with the community, which should foster cooperation and enhance acceptance of outbreak control measures. As a result of this engagement and dialogue, leaders of 19 out of 23 villages pledged their commitment to embrace the EVD outbreak response. Meanwhile, leaders of the four villages that did not turn up for the meeting later made contacts with the local administrative authority, expressing their willingness to be part of the response. In addition, the national authority has established administrative and law enforcement mechanisms to deal with extreme instances of resistance, such as violence towards the response teams.
In Liberia, the Chief Medical Officer including senior officials of the Ministry of Health, WHO, and other partners visited Foya district, the epicentre of the EVD outbreak in Liberia. The field visit aimed to streamline and strengthen implementation of outbreak containment measures. The delegation participated in the district task force meeting and held discussions with the district authority, partners and health care workers.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to scale up and strengthen all aspects of the outbreak response in the three countries, including contact tracing, public information and community mobilization, case management and infection prevention and control, and so on.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event.
Disease update
New cases and deaths attributable to EVD continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in the three West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Between 13 – 14 July 2014, 18 new cases of EVD, including 11 new deaths, were reported from the three countries as follows: Guinea, 5 new cases and 6 deaths; Liberia, 2 new cases with 1 death; and Sierra Leone 11 new cases and 4 deaths. These numbers include laboratory-confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths of EVD.
As of 14 July 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the three countries stands at 982, including 613 deaths. The distribution and classification of the cases are as follows: Guinea, 411 cases (301 confirmed, 95 probable, and 15 suspected) and 310 deaths (203 confirmed, 95 probable, and 12 suspected); Liberia, 174 cases (70 confirmed, 42 probable, and 62 suspected) and 106 deaths (51 confirmed, 34 probable, and 21 suspected); and Sierra Leone, 397 cases (346 confirmed, 39 probable, and 12 suspected) and 197 deaths (153 confirmed, 39 probable, and 5 suspected).
Confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as of 14 July 2014
New (1) Confirmed Probable Suspect Totals by country
Guinea
Cases 5 301 95 15 411
Deaths 6 203 95 12 310
Liberia
Cases 2 70 42 62 174
Deaths 1 51 34 21 106
Sierra Leone
Cases 11 346 39 12 397
Deaths 4 153 39 5 197
Totals
Cases 18 717 176 89 982
Deaths 11 407 169 38 613
1. New cases were reported between 13 and 14 July 2014.
The total number of cases is subject to change due to reclassification, retrospective investigation, consolidation of cases and laboratory data, and enhanced surveillance. Data reported in the Disease Outbreak News are based on best available information reported by Ministries of Health.
http://who.int/csr/don/2014_07_17_ebola/en/
Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update
Disease outbreak news
17 July 2014
Epidemiology and surveillance
WHO continues to monitor the evolution of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. New cases and deaths attributed to EVD continue to be reported from the three countries. Between 13 – 14 July 2014, 18 new cases and 11 deaths were reported from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. These include suspect, probable, and laboratory-confirmed cases. The occurrence of community deaths, still being reported in Guinea, remains a serious concern. The respective Ministries of Health are working with WHO and its partners to step up outbreak containment measures.
Health sector response
The national authorities in the three affected countries are scaling up outbreak containment measures. In Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Health has established an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) aimed at ensuring effective coordination and accelerating implementation of the EVD outbreak response. The EOC is chaired by the Minister of Health and co-chaired by the WHO Representative for Sierra Leone, with members including heads of the different sub-committees of the task force, other senior staff, and key partners. The EOC will oversee the development of the prioritized operational plan in line with the Accra inter-country strategy, ensure that priority interventions are implemented as planned, and streamline communication and information flow.
In Guinea, a high level political delegation comprised of the President of the National Assembly, the Ministers of Health and Communication, and senior government officials conducted a 3-day field visit to Guéckédou, from 14 – 17 July 2014. Outbreak response teams in Guéckédou, where community deaths continue to be reported, encountered resistance and apprehension from the communities. The delegation engaged local and opinion leaders in order to build a relationship of trust with the community, which should foster cooperation and enhance acceptance of outbreak control measures. As a result of this engagement and dialogue, leaders of 19 out of 23 villages pledged their commitment to embrace the EVD outbreak response. Meanwhile, leaders of the four villages that did not turn up for the meeting later made contacts with the local administrative authority, expressing their willingness to be part of the response. In addition, the national authority has established administrative and law enforcement mechanisms to deal with extreme instances of resistance, such as violence towards the response teams.
In Liberia, the Chief Medical Officer including senior officials of the Ministry of Health, WHO, and other partners visited Foya district, the epicentre of the EVD outbreak in Liberia. The field visit aimed to streamline and strengthen implementation of outbreak containment measures. The delegation participated in the district task force meeting and held discussions with the district authority, partners and health care workers.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to scale up and strengthen all aspects of the outbreak response in the three countries, including contact tracing, public information and community mobilization, case management and infection prevention and control, and so on.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event.
Disease update
New cases and deaths attributable to EVD continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in the three West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Between 13 – 14 July 2014, 18 new cases of EVD, including 11 new deaths, were reported from the three countries as follows: Guinea, 5 new cases and 6 deaths; Liberia, 2 new cases with 1 death; and Sierra Leone 11 new cases and 4 deaths. These numbers include laboratory-confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths of EVD.
As of 14 July 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the three countries stands at 982, including 613 deaths. The distribution and classification of the cases are as follows: Guinea, 411 cases (301 confirmed, 95 probable, and 15 suspected) and 310 deaths (203 confirmed, 95 probable, and 12 suspected); Liberia, 174 cases (70 confirmed, 42 probable, and 62 suspected) and 106 deaths (51 confirmed, 34 probable, and 21 suspected); and Sierra Leone, 397 cases (346 confirmed, 39 probable, and 12 suspected) and 197 deaths (153 confirmed, 39 probable, and 5 suspected).
Confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as of 14 July 2014
New (1) Confirmed Probable Suspect Totals by country
Guinea
Cases 5 301 95 15 411
Deaths 6 203 95 12 310
Liberia
Cases 2 70 42 62 174
Deaths 1 51 34 21 106
Sierra Leone
Cases 11 346 39 12 397
Deaths 4 153 39 5 197
Totals
Cases 18 717 176 89 982
Deaths 11 407 169 38 613
1. New cases were reported between 13 and 14 July 2014.
The total number of cases is subject to change due to reclassification, retrospective investigation, consolidation of cases and laboratory data, and enhanced surveillance. Data reported in the Disease Outbreak News are based on best available information reported by Ministries of Health.
Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://who.int/csr/don/2014_07_19_ebola/en/
Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update
Disease outbreak news
19 July 2014
Epidemiology and surveillance
WHO continues to monitor the evolution of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. The current epidemic trend of EVD outbreak in Sierra Leone and Liberia remains serious, with 67 new cases and 19 deaths reported from 15 – 17 July 2014. These include suspect, probable, and laboratory-confirmed cases. The EVD outbreak in Guinea continues to show a declining trend, with no new cases reported during this period. Critical analyses and review of the current outbreak response is being undertaken to inform the process of developing prioritized national operational plans. Effective implementation of the prioritized plans will be vital in reversing the current trend of EVD outbreak, especially in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Health sector response
WHO has been working with national authorities and partners in the affected countries to analyse and review the current outbreak response. An assessment of the outbreak response conducted in Liberia identified several gaps and challenges. Some of the gaps identified include low coverage of contact tracing; persisting denial and resistance in the community; weak data management; inadequate infection prevention and control practices, especially in peripheral health facilities; and weak leadership and coordination at sub-national levels. Underpinning these challenges were limited financial resources and human technical capacity. Comprehensive mapping of the financial, logistics, and human resource needs will be articulated in the national operational plan under development. This exercise of developing prioritized operational plans is also being conducted in Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Following the call for regional collaboration during the Accra Ministerial meeting, the Government and the Ministry of Health of Gambia provided a team of 11 health-care workers to support outbreak response in Sierra Leone. While this team will contribute the critical human resource needs, the mission will be crucial for enhancing capacity for epidemic preparedness and response in The Gambia. This mission is being supported by UNDP, Gambia, and WHO Sierra Leone.
Efforts are currently ongoing to scale up and strengthen all aspects of the outbreak response in the three countries, including contact tracing, public information and community mobilization, case management and infection prevention and control, and coordination.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event.
Disease update
New cases and deaths attributable to EVD continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in the three West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Between 15 – 17 July 2014, 67 new cases of EVD, including 19 new deaths, were reported from the three countries as follows: Guinea, 0 new cases and 0 deaths; Liberia, 22 new cases with 10 deaths; and Sierra Leone 45 new cases and 9 deaths. These numbers include laboratory-confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths of EVD.
As of 17 July 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the three countries stands at 1 048, including 632 deaths. The distribution and classification of the cases are as follows: Guinea, 410 cases (301 confirmed, 95 probable, and 14 suspected) and 310 deaths (203 confirmed, 95 probable, and 12 suspected); Liberia, 196 cases (76 confirmed, 56 probable, and 64 suspected) and 116 deaths (54 confirmed, 40 probable, and 22 suspected); and Sierra Leone, 442 cases (368 confirmed, 48 probable, and 26 suspected) and 206 deaths (165 confirmed, 35 probable, and 6 suspected).
Confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as of 17 July 2014
New (1) Confirmed Probable Suspect Totals by country
Guinea
Cases 0 301 95 14 410
Deaths 0 203 95 12 310
Liberia
Cases 22 76 56 64 196
Deaths 10 54 40 22 116
Sierra Leone
Cases 45 368 48 26 442
Deaths 9 165 35 6 206
Totals
Cases 67 745 199 104 1048
Deaths 19 422 170 40 632
1. New cases were reported between 15 and 17 July 2014.
The total number of cases is subject to change due to reclassification, retrospective investigation, consolidation of cases and laboratory data, and enhanced surveillance. Data reported in the Disease Outbreak News are based on best available information reported by Ministries of Health.
http://who.int/csr/don/2014_07_19_ebola/en/
Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update
Disease outbreak news
19 July 2014
Epidemiology and surveillance
WHO continues to monitor the evolution of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. The current epidemic trend of EVD outbreak in Sierra Leone and Liberia remains serious, with 67 new cases and 19 deaths reported from 15 – 17 July 2014. These include suspect, probable, and laboratory-confirmed cases. The EVD outbreak in Guinea continues to show a declining trend, with no new cases reported during this period. Critical analyses and review of the current outbreak response is being undertaken to inform the process of developing prioritized national operational plans. Effective implementation of the prioritized plans will be vital in reversing the current trend of EVD outbreak, especially in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Health sector response
WHO has been working with national authorities and partners in the affected countries to analyse and review the current outbreak response. An assessment of the outbreak response conducted in Liberia identified several gaps and challenges. Some of the gaps identified include low coverage of contact tracing; persisting denial and resistance in the community; weak data management; inadequate infection prevention and control practices, especially in peripheral health facilities; and weak leadership and coordination at sub-national levels. Underpinning these challenges were limited financial resources and human technical capacity. Comprehensive mapping of the financial, logistics, and human resource needs will be articulated in the national operational plan under development. This exercise of developing prioritized operational plans is also being conducted in Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Following the call for regional collaboration during the Accra Ministerial meeting, the Government and the Ministry of Health of Gambia provided a team of 11 health-care workers to support outbreak response in Sierra Leone. While this team will contribute the critical human resource needs, the mission will be crucial for enhancing capacity for epidemic preparedness and response in The Gambia. This mission is being supported by UNDP, Gambia, and WHO Sierra Leone.
Efforts are currently ongoing to scale up and strengthen all aspects of the outbreak response in the three countries, including contact tracing, public information and community mobilization, case management and infection prevention and control, and coordination.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event.
Disease update
New cases and deaths attributable to EVD continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in the three West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Between 15 – 17 July 2014, 67 new cases of EVD, including 19 new deaths, were reported from the three countries as follows: Guinea, 0 new cases and 0 deaths; Liberia, 22 new cases with 10 deaths; and Sierra Leone 45 new cases and 9 deaths. These numbers include laboratory-confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths of EVD.
As of 17 July 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the three countries stands at 1 048, including 632 deaths. The distribution and classification of the cases are as follows: Guinea, 410 cases (301 confirmed, 95 probable, and 14 suspected) and 310 deaths (203 confirmed, 95 probable, and 12 suspected); Liberia, 196 cases (76 confirmed, 56 probable, and 64 suspected) and 116 deaths (54 confirmed, 40 probable, and 22 suspected); and Sierra Leone, 442 cases (368 confirmed, 48 probable, and 26 suspected) and 206 deaths (165 confirmed, 35 probable, and 6 suspected).
Confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as of 17 July 2014
New (1) Confirmed Probable Suspect Totals by country
Guinea
Cases 0 301 95 14 410
Deaths 0 203 95 12 310
Liberia
Cases 22 76 56 64 196
Deaths 10 54 40 22 116
Sierra Leone
Cases 45 368 48 26 442
Deaths 9 165 35 6 206
Totals
Cases 67 745 199 104 1048
Deaths 19 422 170 40 632
1. New cases were reported between 15 and 17 July 2014.
The total number of cases is subject to change due to reclassification, retrospective investigation, consolidation of cases and laboratory data, and enhanced surveillance. Data reported in the Disease Outbreak News are based on best available information reported by Ministries of Health.