Ebola Virus - Credit CDC
# 8772
The West African Ebola outbreak, now well into its third month, continues to make headlines (see Maggie Fox’s report for NBC News Ebola Outbreak 'Tip of the Iceberg,' Experts Say) as it officially has become the worst outbreak on record.
The numbers we have – as bad as they are – are likely an undercount of the true situation on the ground.
The ECDC, working with the numbers that are available, has released an update of the situation – including graphs and a map – in their latest Weekly Communicable Diseases Threats Report.
Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease - West Africa – 2014
Opening date: 22 March 2014 Latest update: 19 June 2014
Source ECDC
Epidemiological summary
Guinea
The cumulative number of cases and deaths reported from Guinea is 398 (254 confirmed, 88 probable and 56 suspected) and 264 deaths, with an increase of 54 new cases in the last week. No new areas have been affected compared with the previous weeks.Liberia
The cumulative number of cases is 33 (of which 18 confirmed), including 24 deaths. Twenty of the cases occurred in the last two weeks affecting Lofa and Montserrado. Additionally, the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) on site and media both report cases in the capital Monrovia.Sierra Leone
The cumulative confirmed number of cases is 97 (92 of which confirmed), including 49 deaths, from Kailahun, Kono and Western district. In the last two weeks an increase of 16 cases has been reported.
No cases have been detected among returning travellers in Europe.
ECDC assessmentThis is the first outbreak of EVD in West Africa. The origin of the outbreak is unknown. The outbreak, after a period of appearing to slow down, seems to be spreading again and is affecting new districts in Guinea. There has been an upsurge of EVD cases in Sierra Leone during the past week and the outbreak affects seven regions of the country.
Community resistance, inadequate treatment facilities and insufficient human resources in certain affected areas are among challenges currently faced by the three countries in responding to the EVD outbreak, according to WHO.
The risk of infection for travellers is considered very low since most human infections result from direct contact with the bodily fluids or secretions of infected patients, particularly in hospitals (nosocomial transmission) and as a result of unsafe procedures, use of contaminated medical devices (including needles and syringes) and unprotected exposure to contaminated bodily fluids.
ActionsECDC published an update of its rapid risk assessment rapid risk assessment on 9 June. ECDC provided guidance to Member States for EU travellers to and from the affected countries
For a look at the start of this outbreak, and background on the different Ebola viruses and some of the major outbreaks of the past, you may wish to revisit:
A Brief History Of Ebola
