The latest WHO Ebola update document has been posted and can be found here. As of 10/27 there have been 13,703 cases with 4,922 deaths. Mali had its first case on 10/23, a 2 year old girl who traveled there with her grandmother from Guinea. In the US there have been 4 cases and 1 death. The outbreak remains uncontrolled in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Showing posts with label Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever. Show all posts
Friday, October 31, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
WHO: Updated Ebola Outbreak Information
The latest WHO Ebola situation report can be found here. Key points:
1) As of 10/19 there have been 9,936 cases and 4,877 deaths
2) The outbreak in Senegal was declared over on 10/17
3) The outbreak in Nigeria was declared over on 10/19
Up until 10/19 there had been only 3 cases in the US (now 4 given the physician who has developed Ebola after returning from Guinea-not on the latest WHO document). For the 3 reported on in the WHO document there were 172 possible contacts of these patients 60 of who were past the 21 day incubation period and therefore deemed non-infected.
1) As of 10/19 there have been 9,936 cases and 4,877 deaths
2) The outbreak in Senegal was declared over on 10/17
3) The outbreak in Nigeria was declared over on 10/19
Up until 10/19 there had been only 3 cases in the US (now 4 given the physician who has developed Ebola after returning from Guinea-not on the latest WHO document). For the 3 reported on in the WHO document there were 172 possible contacts of these patients 60 of who were past the 21 day incubation period and therefore deemed non-infected.
Labels:
Ebola,
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever,
Ebola Virus Disease,
WHO
Saturday, August 16, 2014
West Africa Ebola Outbreak: August 15th Update

Cases are being reported in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.

Monday, August 4, 2014
Ebola Outbreak Update: July 31-August 1
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cdc.gov |
Between July 31 and August 1 there were 163 new (presumptive) cases with 61 deaths; cases are being reported from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
The total number of presumptive cases is now 1,603 with 887 deaths; at this point the outbreak is nowhere near contained and current infection control efforts appear inadequate. Unfortunately there are no Ebola-specific therapies available; treatment is supportive in nature and the disease carries a very high mortality rate (71-86% based on a recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine).
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Total Ebola Cases/ Deaths Per Country to Date |
One of the factors that promoted the expansion of the current outbreak was the long time it took for the outbreak to be recognized. Cases of people with a disease characterized by vomiting and diarrhea with a high mortality rate were first identified in clusters in Guinea in December 2013; the outbreak was not reported to international authorities until March 2014. As a global community we need to promote access to resources and technology that support the rapid detection and diagnosis of key infectious diseases; this is in all of our best interests. This current outbreak is yet another reminder that new (and old) diseases will continue to emerge and that something that emerges in a 'remote' part of the world can rapidly become a global issue.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
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Areas involved with current outbreak |
Ebola Virus Disease (EBV), also known as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, refers to a viral infection with several different species of a filovirus. First identified in two outbreaks in the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976, Ebola causes a severe acute illness characterized by bleeding and a mortality rate up to 90%.
Most of the Ebola outbreaks to date have occurred in small villages in West and Central Africa near tropical rain forests. The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats. Animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas and monkeys can become infected with the virus after coming in contact with bats; these animals are "accidental" hosts, just like humans. Humans become infected via handling blood and body fluids from infected bats or other animals. Once someone is infected with the virus they then go on to serve as a source of transmission to other humans via their own infected blood, tissues and secretions.
The incubation period for Ebola after being infected is anywhere from 2-21 days; humans are not
infectious until they develop symptomatic illness. Ebola initially is a non-specific illness characterized by sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pains, sore throat and headache. These symptoms are followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, organ dysfunction and sometimes bleeding. Once symptomatic, a person's blood and body fluids are highly infectious and serve as a source for potential human to human transmission of disease.
As noted above, Ebola is associated with mortality rates of up to 90%. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the disease.
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Distribution of different Ebola outbreaks |
The WHO has terrific information on Ebola available here. Some great information is also available from the CDC.
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