# 8414
While it may be a Saturday morning, officials at the World Health Organization (and other agencies) are nonetheless at work, dealing with the ongoing outbreak of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in Western Africa.
Earlier this week I highlighted some of the WHO’s social media messaging (see WHO Twitter Messaging On Ebola), so this morning we’ve another round, along with a multi-language PSA from the UN Mission in Liberia.
First some of the messaging this morning from Gregory Hartl – spokesperson for the WHO – that stresses the regional nature and history of limited community spread of Ebola, and characterizes it as `an outbreak’ . . . not an epidemic.
Hartl also clarifies that the suspected cases in Liberia have yet to be lab-confirmed.
Meanwhile, the UN Mission in Liberia has produced a Public Service Announcement in 5 languages (English, Simple English, Kpelle, Bassa, Loma) on the Ebola Outbreak, for broadcast in that country. You can listen to any (or all) of these PSAs at the link below:
https://soundcloud.com/un-mission-in-liberia/sets/ebola-public-service
Yesterday the ECDC released an epidemiological update, and as you might expect, they too are calling this an `outbreak’.
Epidemiological update: Outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Guinea
28 Mar 2014
Background
An outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Guinea, West Africa, with onset in early February 2014 is rapidly evolving. The first cases were reported from the Forested Region of south-eastern Guinea. ECDC published a Rapid Risk Assessment of the outbreak on 23 March at which time 80 cases including 59 deaths (CFR: 74%) had been reported. To date, fifteen cases have tested positive for Ebola virus by PCR. Gene sequencing has demonstrated 98% homology with the Zaire Ebola virus last reported from an outbreak in 2009 in Kasai-Occidental Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The case fatality ratios in previously reported outbreaks caused by the Zaire Ebola virus have been high.Update
On 27 March, fifteen new cases were reported to WHO, of which five were reported from Conakry, eight from Guéckédou district and two from Macenta district. Of the five cases reported from Conakry, four have been laboratory-confirmed and are isolated in a hospital while the fifth fatal case could not be tested. Investigations are underway to identify the source and route of transmission of these patients, record their travel histories before arrival in Conakry and determine their period of infectivity for the purpose of contact tracing. The five cases in Conakry are unlikely to have been infected in the capital. According to a media report quoting the Minister of Health in Guinea, the primary case in the Conakry cluster is an elderly man who developed haemorrhagic fever after visiting Dinguiraye in central Guinea and subsequently died. Four of the man’s brothers who attended his funeral in the central town of Dabola later developed symptoms and tested positive for Ebola on their return to Conakry. The four patients have been placed in an isolation ward in Donka hospital. The elderly man's family has been quarantined.In summary, as of 27 March, 103 cases (15 laboratory-confirmed and 88 suspected) including 66 deaths (CFR: 64%) have been reported from three districts in south-eastern Guinea, Guéckédou, Macenta and Kissidougou, and from the capital, Conakry. Four of the fatal cases were healthcare workers. All age groups have been affected but most of the cases are adults aged 15-59 years.
As of 27 March, Liberia has reported eight suspected cases, including six deaths, and Sierra Leone has reported six suspected cases, including five deaths. All cases reported from Sierra Leone and Liberia had travel history to the affected districts in Guinea.
Investigations and response activities are ongoing in Guinea, and isolation facilities have been set up in Guéckédou district. WHO and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) have deployed experts to support the operational response. Supplies and logistics required for supportive management of patients and all aspects of outbreak control are being mobilised.Read More
WHO/AFRO outbreak news
ECDC Ebola health topic page
ECDC Ebola and Marburg fact sheet
ECDC Rapid Risk Assessment, 23 March 2014
And lastly, Crof over at Crofsblog has been doing a terrific job covering the flow of news out of Guinea and the surrounding areas, and – in addition to following @WHO and the twitter feed #AskEbola - is undoubtedly the best place to go to get the latest updates on this Ebola outbreak
