ALERT Health Workers Head in to Contain Fresh Ebola Outbreak in Guinea

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/eb...d-contain-fresh-ebola-outbreak-guinea-n541411

Health
Ebola Virus Outbreak

Mar 18 2016, 9:55 am ET

Health Workers Head in to Contain Fresh Ebola Outbreak in Guinea

by Reuters

Health workers are rushing to the site of a fresh Ebola outbreak in Guinea to bolster efforts to contain the virus and prepare for the likelihood of more cases, aid agencies said on Friday.

Four people in the southern region of Nzerekore were tested on Thursday and two of them were found to have Ebola. They were all from Korokpara, a village where three people from the same family have died in recent weeks from diarrhea and vomiting.

The World Health Organization and aid agencies have sent experts to investigate the origin of the new cases and to identify, isolate, vaccinate and monitor all of their contacts.

The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) has reopened its Ebola treatment unit in Nzerekore, while the United Nations children's agency UNICEF is reinforcing its team in the region and providing protective equipment and medicine.


Related: Experimental Ebola Vaccine Could Stop Epidemic


"There has been a very professional and experienced response across the board," said Augustin Augier of ALIMA, which admitted the two patients, a child and his mother, to its treatment unit.

"We are doing all we can to be ready to receive more cases," he said, adding that ALIMA was flying in more staff from Paris.

More than 28,500 people have been infected and 11,300 have died since the world's worst recorded Ebola epidemic began in December 2013 - mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

While the epidemic has come under control, experts have warned of the risk of new flare-ups, as Ebola can linger in the eyes, central nervous system and bodily fluids of survivors.

The two fresh cases in Nzerekore, where the Ebola outbreak began in 2013, were reported just hours after the WHO declared neighboring Sierra Leone's latest flare-up over.

Guinea had been nearing the end of a 90-day period of heightened surveillance when the fresh cases were reported - the country's first known re-emergence of Ebola after the outbreak was officially declared over there at the end of December 2015.

"The heightened surveillance means mechanisms were in place and that we were vigilant and prepared to deal with the flare-up," said Guy Yogo, UNICEF's deputy representative in Guinea.

"The population is now aware of the disease and listening to the guidance it receives from the authorities," Yogo added.

It was not immediately clear how the villagers from Korokpara had contracted Ebola but the area had resisted efforts to fight the disease in the initial epidemic.
 

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://news.trust.org/item/20160317211409-j09id/?source=hpOtherNews2

Guinea says two people tested positive for Ebola

Source: Reuters - Thu, 17 Mar 2016 21:11 GMT

(Recasts after new Guinea cases, adds official quotes and context)

By Saliou Samb

CONAKRY, March 17 (Reuters) - Two people have tested positive for Ebola in Guinea, the government said on Thursday, hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared neighbouring Sierra Leone's latest outbreak was over.

Four people were tested and two of them were found to have Ebola, a government agency spokesman said. They were all from Korokpara, a village where three people from the same family have died in the past few weeks from diarrhea and vomiting.

"All of the sick people have been taken to the Nzerekore treatment centre," the National Coordination of the Fight against Ebola in Guinea's Fode Tass Sylla said.

The world's worst recorded Ebola epidemic is believed to have started in Guinea and killed about 2,500 people by December last year, at which point the WHO said the virus was no longer being actively transmitted.

More than 11,300 people have died since the outbreak began in 2013, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The WHO did warn on Thursday however that Ebola could resurface at any time, since it can linger in the eyes, central nervous system and bodily fluids of some survivors.

It was not immediately clear how the villagers from Korokpara had contracted the disease but the area had previously resisted efforts to fight the illness in the initial epidemic.

Government spokesman, Damantang Albert Camara, said: "Vaccines have been taken to the zone to avoid new infections. The area has been locked down."

Residents and authorities remain on edge across West Africa, though in many areas procedures to combat Ebola remain lax, experts say.

"Strong surveillance and emergency response capacity need to be maintained, along with rigorous hygiene practices at home and in health facilities and active community participation," WHO said in a statement released earlier on Thursday.

The WHO had announced Sierra Leone has had no new cases of the virus for 42 days, twice the length of the virus's incubation period - the time that elapses between transmission of the disease and the appearance of symptoms.

Sierra Leone was first declared free of Ebola transmissions in November before tests revealed one woman had died of the disease in January, the same week that the WHO had declared the region free of new transmissions of the virus.

The case of Mariatu Jalloh displayed how easily Ebola can return if precautions are not taken and patients do not seek quick medical attention.

Jalloh had travelled across the country and come into contact with dozens of people after contracting the illness. Family members had washed her corpse, considered dangerous since the virus remains contagious for days after death.

(Additional reporting by Edward McAllister; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Louise Ireland)
 

Tristan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Would you rather it were ignored until it was 2000 infections?

I'm wondering if we will ever 'contain' Ebola again. Especially on the news that the Ebola continues to survive in patients even after they're declared 'clear' of the virus...
 

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Would you rather it were ignored until it was 2000 infections?

I'm wondering if we will ever 'contain' Ebola again. Especially on the news that the Ebola continues to survive in patients even after they're declared 'clear' of the virus...

Between that and the living conditions where it's breaking out I'm guessing at one point a variant of this virus is going to pop up and pull the tropical equivalent of the "Black Death"/1918 Influenza Outbreak in the region.
 

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
More than 28,500 people have been infected and 11,300 have died since the world's worst recorded Ebola epidemic began in December 2013 ...

They first floated that 11,300 death toll number back in August 2015, and according to my notes the highest credible death toll number I've seen is 11,315 (reported January 21st). Are they saying that essentially almost no one has died of Ebola since August 2015? If anyone has a higher confirmed number (as reported by a credible source) I'd sure like to add it to my notes.
 

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
They first floated that 11,300 death toll number back in August 2015, and according to my notes the highest credible death toll number I've seen is 11,315 (reported January 21st). Are they saying that essentially almost no one has died of Ebola since August 2015? If anyone has a higher confirmed number (as reported by a credible source) I'd sure like to add it to my notes.

That's what I'm getting from it. My guess is considering the conditions in the interior, never mind the shanty towns, a doubling or tripling of that number wouldn't be out of line when you consider what this infection would do to someone with TB or HIV.
 

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
That's what I'm getting from it. My guess is considering the conditions in the interior, never mind the shanty towns, a doubling or tripling of that number wouldn't be out of line when you consider what this infection would do to someone with TB or HIV.

I believe the CDC itself has said it would probably be closer to reality to multiply reported numbers by four.

In the past Ebola has moved so fast that it effectively burned itself out in the available human host population before it could spread widely and thus ended those particular outbreaks. Clearly this time that wasn't the case, so I'm puzzled at how with such a massive outbreak in such a large human host population the disease has apparently again burned itself out. Which is what you'd reasonably assume from the lack of a significantly changing death toll number over the last seven months. As I said, if such a thing is available I'd very much like any death toll number higher than 11,315 from credible sources in order to update my notes.
 

kittyknits

Veteran Member
Would you rather it were ignored until it was 2000 infections?

I'm wondering if we will ever 'contain' Ebola again. Especially on the news that the Ebola continues to survive in patients even after they're declared 'clear' of the virus...


I don't think it has ever been contained on the African continent. We are just able to get news of everything that happens these days, so we are much more aware of this just like everything else. A while ago we would never have heard about these outbreaks until they did become pretty big.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
I don't think it has ever been contained on the African continent. We are just able to get news of everything that happens these days, so we are much more aware of this just like everything else. A while ago we would never have heard about these outbreaks until they did become pretty big.

This^.
Health care is big business, and epidemics are a nice windfall. If it went away naturally, some NGO would have to break open a vial of it.
 
Top