The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest, longest, deadliest and most complex outbreak since Ebola first emerged in 1976, affecting multiple countries in West Africa. It initially centred on Guinea's remote south-eastern region of Nzerekore in early 2014, later on spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia . At the peak of transmission, which occurred during August and September 2014, affected countries was reporting from 300 to 400 new cases every week.During those periods, the affected countries was the setting for some of the most tragic scenes from West Africa’s outbreak: gates locked at overflowing treatment clinics, patients dying on the hospital premises, and bodies were sometimes not collected for days. Businesses, borders, markets, schools and most health facilities were closed.Fuel and food ran low.Flights were cancelled. Fear and uncertainty about the future, for communities, for country and its economy and for families dominated the national mood. More than year on from the first confirmed case recorded on March 23, 2014, more than 11,000 people have been reported as having died from these epidemic outbreak. However a small number of cases reported in Mali and Nigeria and a single case reported in Senegal, were contained, with no further spread in these countries.
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A health worker sprays disinfectant on a co-worker in Sierra Leone |
Confirmed, probable, and suspected Ebola Virus Disease cases worldwide: ( Data status reported up to 17 May 2015)
COUNTRY CASES DEATHS
Guinea 3635 2407
Liberia 10666 4806
Sierra Leone 12632 3907
Italy 1 0
Mali 8 6
Nigeria 20 8
Senegal 1 0
Spain 1 0
United Kingdom 1 0
USA 4 1
total 26,969 11,135
COUNTRIES WITH INTENSE AND WIDESPREAD TRANSMISSION
There have been a total of 26 933 reported suspected, probable and confirmed cases of EVD in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone , with 11 120 reported deaths (this total includes reported deaths among probable and suspected cases, though outcomes in many cases are unknown). A list of 27 new confirmed cases were reported in Guinea and 8 in Sierra Leone in 7 days from May 10 to 17 May. The outbreak was declared over in Liberia on 9 May.
The total number of confirmed cases is similar in males and females. Compared with children (people aged 14 years and under), person aged from 15 to 44 are approximately 3 to 4 times more likely to be affected. Person aged 45 and over are 4 to 5 times more likely to be affected than children.
A total of 869 confirmed health worker infections have been reported in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia ; there have been 507 reported deaths
PREVIOUSLY AFFECTED COUNTRIES AND OTHER AFFECTED COUNTRIES
Six countries (Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) have previously reported a case or cases imported from a country with intense and widespread transmission.
On 12 May, WHO received notification of a laboratory-confirmed EVD case in Italy. The case of a volunteer health worker from Sierra Leone who returned to Italy on May 7. The health worker developed symptoms on May 10 , and was transported on May 11 to the infectious diseases ward of the Hospital of Sassari, Sardinia, Italy. Clinical samples were confirmed as EVD positive on May 12, and he was securely transferred to the National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome, upon confirmation of Ebola. Due to onset of symptoms occurred 72 hours after the case’s last flight, tracing of passengers who made contact and shared flights with the case was not considered necessary. However a list of 13 contacts associated with the case are currently being monitored.But none of the contacts are considered to have been at a high risk of exposure.
May 20, 2015
Outbreak Update
According to the WHO’s May 20 Situational Report, a total of 35 new confirmed Ebola cases were reported from Guinea and Sierra Leone in the week leading up to 17 May. This is a substantial increase compared with the nine total cases reported the previous week. Area of geographical transmission has also expanded compared with recent weeks, a total of six districts reporting cases (three in Guinea and three in Sierra Leone) compared with 3 the previous week (1 in Sierra Leone, 2 in Guinea).
Sierra Leone
A total of 8 confirmed cases were reported in the week to 17 May, compared with 2 the previous week . They were from Kambia (1 case), Port Loko (3 cases) and Freetown (4 cases). Sierra Leone submitted only one of the eight confirmed cases has an unknown source of infection.
Guinea
Guinea reported a total of 27 cases, in comparison to 7 cases last week. Most cases were reported from the western prefectures of Dubreka (11 cases) and Forecariah (11 cases), with the remaining 5 cases reported from the north western prefecture of Boke, which borders Guinea-Bissau. Nine of the 27 reported cases in Guinea,originated from an unknown source, meaning that chains of transmission continue to evade detection in several areas.
Liberia
The EVD outbreak in Liberia was declared over on May 9. The country, which had previously experienced intense and widespread transmission, finished 42 days without any new confirmed cases since the burial of the last confirmed case on March 28. The country has now entered a 3-month period of heightened vigilance. A week leading up to May 17, an average of 27 laboratory samples were tested per day, had found out 100% confirmed as negative for EVD.
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| Health workers in West Africa disinfect their hands. |
The last health worker infection in Guinea was reported on 6 April. However, after 5 consecutive weeks without reporting any health worker infection, a new health worker infection was laboratory confirmed as EVD positive on May 14.The case is a Sierra Leone national who was working at an Ebola treatment centre near Freetown at the time of symptom onset. It is the same facility at which the recent Italian health worker case was stationed prior to their return to Italy. Ongoing investigations into how both health workers came to be exposed to EVD. A total of 869 confirmed health worker infections have been reported from Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia since the outbreak start, with reported deaths of 507.
Previous Outbreak Updates
May 13, 2015 collapsed
Outbreak Update
According to the WHO’s May 13 Situation Report, a total of 9 new confirmed Ebola cases were reported in the week leading up to May 10. Seven cases in Guinea and in Sierra Leone two cases. This is the lowest weekly total this year. During the previous week, both countries reported nine cases. Sierra Leone had reported eight consecutive days without a confirmed case, as of May 12.
In Sierra Leone, the two reported cases were from one area of Freetown. These two patients were known contacts of a previous case and were under quarantine when symptoms developed. Follow up treatment, one of the two patients has tested negative for Ebola two times.
Of the seven cases reported for Guinea, the six came from one prefecture, that has been the focus of transmission for several weeks ago. Four of the six cases were from one sub-prefecture that borders Sierra Leone. And the seventh confirmed case was identified post mortem in a separate prefecture. Latest investigations have not been able to establish a link with a previously reported case.
May 6, 2015 collapsed
Outbreak Update
Ebola virus has been found in the semen of some men who have recovered from Ebola infection. There is a possibility that Ebola could be transmitted through sex. Avoid contact with semen from a male survivor, till more information is known. If male survivors have sex (vaginal, anal or oral sex), condom should be used consistently and correctly as always. The risk of getting Ebola from semen is considered to be very low and likely decreases over time.
According to the WHO’s May 6 Situational Report, a list of 18 new confirmed Ebola cases were reported in Guinea and Sierra Leone in a week before 3 May, compared to 33 of previous week. Making the lowest weekly total this year. Last month, around 30 to 37 confirmed cases have been reported each week.
The nine cases reported for Guinea came from one prefecture, and the other nine cases reported for Sierra Leone came from two districts. Making the lowest number of total districts to report a confirmed case in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia since May 2014.
The outbreak in Liberia was over:
The outbreak in Liberia, which has had the highest number of deaths out of all the countries affected, was declared Ebola-free on Saturday May 9, 2015, with 42 days gone since the last victim of EVD died in this
place. But it doesn't mean the country's free of the effects of the deadly disease. Although Liberia has now been declared Ebola-free, reports say the outbreak will have a long-term impact on Liberia's fragile economy.
Liberia’s last case was a woman in the greater Monrovia area who developed symptoms on March 20 and died on March 27. Source of her infection remains under investigation. The identified 332 people who may have been exposed to the patient were closely monitored. But no one developed symptoms and all have been released from surveillance.
Health officials have maintained a high level of vigilance for new cases. Last April the country’s 5 dedicated Ebola laboratories tested around 300 samples every week.The results of all test results were negative.
While WHO is confident that Liberia has interrupted transmission, the outbreaks still persist in neighbouring Sierra Leone and Guinea, creating risk that infected people may cross into Liberia over the region’s exceptionally porous borders. Though it has now been declared over, ebola can come back over the border at any time from Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Billboards went up with slogans such as "Ebola is real", "Wash your hands and don't touch" and "Don't be the next victim."
Ebola experts say it doesn't take anything high-tech to stop outbreaks of the virus. Identifying cases quickly, carefully watching their contacts and getting those people isolated can stop it from spreading.
That is because the virus, even though highly deadly, spreads only with close physical contact or contact with body fluids.
In West Africa, rumors, poverty and mistrust of government, all combined to allow Ebola to spread quietly and quickly across borders. But it wasn't until health officials persuaded community leaders to help gain the trust and cooperation of local residents that efforts to stop the epidemic could work.
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| A health worker sprays a man with disinfectant chemicals as he died due to the Ebola virus as people look on in Liberia |
"Local volunteers, who worked on burial teams, helped in treatment centers, or as drivers in ambulance car, were driven by a sense of community responsibility and patriotic duty to end Ebola and bring hope back to the country's people,".Also added "community task forces were formed to create house-to-house awareness, report suspected cases,stop people from washing and embracing the bodies of victims (an unusually efficient way to spread the virus) ,call health teams for support, conduct contact tracing and persuade patients that clinics weren't simply death traps."
