Ebola and Other Outbreaks in U.S.

GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
EBOLA HEALTH EMERGENCY IN CONNECTICUT
EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN WEST AFRICA
SCENARIOS 797, 444, 333, 080, 011
.

Ebola Outbreak: Second Texas healthcare worker ‘tests positive’ —Health officials

A second healthcare worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has tested positive for Ebola, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced on Wednesday.

The worker, who was on the team that cared for the Liberian Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan, was immediately isolated after reporting a fever on Tuesday, the health officials said.

“Health officials have interviewed the latest patient to quickly identify any contacts or potential exposures, and those people will be monitored.”

Another nurse, 26-year-old Nina Pham, became infected by Ebola virus while caring for Duncan, who died on October 8.

“An additional health care worker testing positive for Ebola is a serious concern, and the CDC has already taken active steps to minimize the risk to health care workers and the patient,” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement.

Ebola Stats

• At least 4,447 people have died from the outbreak, mainly in West Africa, since December 2013, according to The World Health Organization (WHO).
• Most of the fatalities have occurred in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
• WHO warns the infection rate could reach 5,000 to 10,000 new cases per week by December 2014 if the response remains inadequate.

Ebola in Brief

Symptoms of Ebola include

• Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

Recovery from Ebola depends on the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years. [Source: CDC]

U.S. Health Emergency

Gov. Malloy declared a “public health emergency” for the state of Connecticut last week and signed an order authorizing the Department of Public Health to quarantine potentially infected individuals/groups.

In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the respective state health commissioners have the authority to quarantine anyone suspected of exposure to Ebola virus.

Global Health Emergency

WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa  a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern,’ under the International Health Regulations on August 8, 2014.

All Other U.S.-Based Outbreaks [sourced from CDC]

• Acute Neurological Illness with Focal Limb Weakness in Children, Undetermined Origin Announced September 2014
• Cilantro – Cyclosporiasis (Texas) Announced September 2014
• Almond and Peanut Butter – Salmonella Braenderup Announced August 2014
• Live Poultry – Salmonella Infantis and Newport Announced May 2014
• Serogroup B meningococcal disease outbreak at University of California, Santa Barbara Announced December 2013
• Serogroup B meningococcal disease outbreak at Princeton University Announced December 2013
• Fungal Meningitis and Other Infections – Multistate outbreak Announced October 2013

Outbreaks Affecting International Travelers

See the Travelers’ Health site for a complete list.

• MERS-CoV Announced May 2014
• Ebola Outbreak in West Africa Announced March 2014
• Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Virus  Announced March 2013

Related Links

• Connecticut Declares Ebola Health Emergency, Authorizes Quarantines October 8, 2014
• Ebola outbreak devastating West Africa could spread globally October 1, 2014

Connecticut Declares Ebola Health Emergency, Authorizes Quarantines

GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
EBOLA HEALTH EMERGENCY IN CONNECTICUT
EBOLA EPIDEMIC IN WEST AFRICA
SCENARIOS 797, 444, 333, 080, 011
.

CT Gov. authorizes quarantines, after declaring Ebola a ‘public health emergency’

Gov. Malloy has declared a “public health emergency” for the state of Connecticut and signed an order on Tuesday authorizing the Department of Public Health to quarantine potentially infected individuals/groups.

“We are taking this action today to ensure that we are prepared, in advance, to deal with any identified cases in which someone has been exposed to the virus or, worst case, infected,” said Malloy.

“It is essential to be prepared and we need to have the authorities in place that will allow us to move quickly to protect public health, if and when that becomes necessary,” he added.

“While local health officials are certainly on the front lines of this effort, at the ready to address any situation, having this order in place will allow us to have a more coordinated response in the event that someone in Connecticut either tests positive for Ebola or has been identified as someone who is at risk of developing it,” said Commissioner Mullen of the Department of Public Health.

With the the emergency proclamation in place, “we don’t have to scramble in the event I need to take action.” said Mullen.

There are no Ebola cases currently in Connecticut, and the order is meant as a precaution in case someone with either a confirmed infection or suspected of carrying the virus enters the state.

Other U.S. states seem to have been left with little option but to follow the precedent set by the Connecticut governor.

In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the respective state health commissioners have the authority to quarantine anyone suspected of exposure to Ebola virus.

Ebola in Brief

Symptoms of Ebola include

• Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

Recovery from Ebola depends on the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years. [Source: CDC]

Global Health Emergency

WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa  a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern,’ under the International Health Regulations on August 8, 2014.

Related Links

• Ebola outbreak devastating West Africa could spread globally October 1, 2014

Ebola: 1.4 Million Cases by January 20, 2015?

GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
DEADLY EBOLA HF EPIDEMIC
EBOLA OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA
SCENARIOS 797, 444, 333, 080, 011
.

Ebola Cases in Sierra Leone and Liberia Could Reach 1.4 Million by January —CDC

Up to 1.4 million people in West Africa could be infected with the Ebola virus by January 20, 2015, according to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC says it has has developed a dynamic modeling tool called Ebola Response that allows for estimations of projected cases over time in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The agency’s estimate ranges between 550,000 and 1.4 million. The top range assumes that the number of cases, which currently stands at nearly 6,000, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is underreported by a factor of 2.5 and should be adjusted to 15,000.

Projecting Ebola Case Estimates

CDC has used the Ebola Response modeling tool to calculate Ebola cases through mid-January in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The model estimates a range of between 550,000 and 1.4 million cases by January 20, 2015. The top range of the case estimate, 1.4 million, is explained by the model’s assumption that cases are significantly underreported by a factor of 2.5.

The World Health Organization has projected that Ebola outbreak could infect 20,000 people by early November, failing rigorous infection control measures, and become an endemic disease in the region.

The death toll is at least 2,811 out of 5,864 reported cases, according to the U.N. agency.

CDC analysis, published in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), projects the cases in Liberia doubling every 15 to 20 days, and those in Sierra Leone doubling every 30 to 40 days.

Global Health Emergency

WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa  a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern,’ under the International Health Regulations on August 8, 2014.

Related Links

• Ebola Outbreak Declared Global Health Emergency  August 8, 2014
• Ebola Outbreak: Public Health Emergency Declared in Sierra Leone July 31, 2014
• EBOLA Epidemic Spreading in West Africa June 19, 2014

Ebola Outbreak Declared Global Health Emergency

EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
DEADLY EBOLA HF EPIDEMIC
EBOLA OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA
GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
SCENARIOS 797, 444, 080, 011
.

The largest ever Ebola outbreak continues spreading

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern,’ under the International Health Regulations.

Earlier this week, the organization released the following statistics concerning the deadly outbreak:

• No of reported infection: 1,779 cases (including confirmed and probable cases)
• No of mortalities: At least 960
• Cases reported in Nigeria, the most recent country to be affected

The WHO director-general called the outbreak the “most complex outbreak in the four decades of this disease.”

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF)

EHF is a highly contagious virus that spreads via close personal contact and kills up to 90% of the victims.

Five subspecies of Ebolavirus have so far been found. Four of those have caused disease in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus); Taï Forest virus (Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus); and Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo ebolavirus). The fifth, Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans, according to CDC.

• Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and damage to central nervous system.
• There are  no known cure or vaccine for the Ebola virus.
• Incubation period is from two to 21 days.

In Africa, confirmed cases of Ebola HF have previously been reported in the following countries:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
• Gabon
• South Sudan
• Ivory Coast
• Uganda
• Republic of the Congo (ROC)
• South Africa (imported)

The current outbreak  is the first known occurrence of Ebola HF in Guinea.

“The natural reservoir host of ebolaviruses, and the manner in which transmission of the virus to humans occurs, remain unknown. This makes risk assessment in endemic areas difficult. With the exception of several laboratory contamination cases (one in England and two in Russia), all cases of human illness or death have occurred in Africa; no case has been reported in the United States,” said CDC.

Ebola virions (image 2 colorized 1), diagnostic specimen from the first passage in Vero cells of a specimen from a human patient — this image is from the first isolation and visualization of Ebola virus, 1976. In this case, some of the filamentous virions are fused together, end-to-end, giving the appearance of a “bowl of spaghetti.” Negatively stained virions. Magnification: approximately x40,000.  Micrograph from F. A. Murphy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.

Affected Countries [August 4, 2014]

Guinea

• August 4, 2014, the Guinea Ministry of Health announced a total of 495 suspect and confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 363 fatal cases.
• Affected districts include Conakry, Guéckédou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola, Djingaraye, Télimélé, Boffa, Kouroussa, Dubreka, Fria, Siguiri, Pita and Nzerekore; several are no longer active areas of EVD transmission (see map).
• 351 cases across Guinea have been confirmed by laboratory testing to be positive for Ebola virus infection.
• In Guinea’s capital city, Conakry, 95 suspect cases have been reported to meet the clinical definition for EVD, including 42 fatal cases.

Liberia

• August 4, 2014, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia and WHO have reported 516 suspect and confirmed EHF cases (including 143 laboratory confirmations) and 282 reported fatalities.

Nigeria

• August 4, 2014, the Nigerian Ministry of Health and WHO reported 9 suspect and probable cases and 1 fatal probable case.

Sierra Leone

• August 4, 2014, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone and WHO reported a cumulative total of 691 suspect and confirmed cases, including 576 laboratory confirmations and 286 reported fatal cases.
• Cases have been reported from 12 Sierra Leone districts.

12 deadly pathogens could spread into new regions aided by climate change

A report by Wildlife Conservation Society released on October 7, 2008 lists 12 deadly pathogens that could spread globally as a result of climate change. “All have potential impacts to both human and wildlife health as well as global economies.” Report said.

Titled ‘The Deadly Dozen: Wildlife Diseases in the Age of Climate Change,’ the report illustrates examples of diseases that could spread due to temperatures changes and variations in regional precipitation levels.

The “Deadly Dozen” list [ABC order]

1. Avian influenza
2. Babesia
3. Cholera
4. Ebola
5. Intestinal and external parasites
6. Lyme disease
7. Plague
8. Red tides
9. Rift Valley fever
10. Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis)
11. Tuberculosis
12. Yellow fever

Related Links

• Ebola Outbreak: Public Health Emergency Declared in Sierra Leone July 31, 2014
• EBOLA Epidemic Spreading in West Africa June 19, 2014
• Sierra Leone “Quarantines” Ebola Affected Area June 14, 2014
• Ebola Kills 100 in West Africa April 5, 2014
• Ebola Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border March 31, 2014
• Ebola Outbreak Kills Dozens March 23, 2014
• Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever Breaks Out in SW Uganda October 20, 2012
• Disaster Calendar – 28 July 2012 July 28, 2012
• Climate Change Spreads “Deadly Dozen” Diseases October 8, 2008

Ebola Outbreak: Public Health Emergency Declared in Sierra Leone

UPDATED August 1, 2014 @ 03:00UTC

EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
DEADLY EBOLA HF EPIDEMIC
EBOLA OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA
SCENARIO 011
.

Sierra Leone declares public health emergency to curb deadly Ebola outbreak

Death toll from an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa—Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone—has risen to at least 729 since February, including 233  in Sierra Leone, said WHO.

Liberia’s government earlier announced that it was closing down all schools across the country to stop the spread of the deadly virus.

Ebola Fears in Other Countries

“The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday that it has put in place precautionary measures to prevent the entry and spread of the Ebola virus disease in the country,”  said a report.

Ebola could be a threat to Britain, said the British Foreign Secretary during an emergency meeting on Wednesday.

“In terms of the UK, the issue is about the possibility of somebody who has contracted the disease in Africa getting sick here.” He told reporters.

The Nigerian government has ordered the temperature screening of all passengers arriving from places at risk from Ebola, while suspending pan-African airline Asky because it brought the first Ebola case to the overcrowded capital Lagos.

Ethiopia and Kenya have begun screening passengers arriving from West Africa.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF)

EHF is a highly contagious virus that spreads via close personal contact and kills up to 90% of the victims.

Five subspecies of Ebolavirus have so far been found. Four of those have caused disease in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus); Taï Forest virus (Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus); and Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo ebolavirus). The fifth, Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans, according to CDC.

• Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and damage to central nervous system.
• There are  no known cure or vaccine for the Ebola virus.
• Incubation period is from two to 21 days.

In Africa, confirmed cases of Ebola HF have previously been reported in the following countries:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
• Gabon
• South Sudan
• Ivory Coast
• Uganda
• Republic of the Congo (ROC)
• South Africa (imported)

The current outbreak  is the first known occurrence of Ebola HF in Guinea.

“The natural reservoir host of ebolaviruses, and the manner in which transmission of the virus to humans occurs, remain unknown. This makes risk assessment in endemic areas difficult. With the exception of several laboratory contamination cases (one in England and two in Russia), all cases of human illness or death have occurred in Africa; no case has been reported in the United States,” said CDC.

Ebola virions (image 2 colorized 1), diagnostic specimen from the first passage in Vero cells of a specimen from a human patient — this image is from the first isolation and visualization of Ebola virus, 1976. In this case, some of the filamentous virions are fused together, end-to-end, giving the appearance of a “bowl of spaghetti.” Negatively stained virions. Magnification: approximately x40,000.  Micrograph from F. A. Murphy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.

12 deadly pathogens could spread into new regions aided by climate change

A report by Wildlife Conservation Society released on October 7, 2008 lists 12 deadly pathogens that could spread globally as a result of climate change. “All have potential impacts to both human and wildlife health as well as global economies.” Report said.

Titled ‘The Deadly Dozen: Wildlife Diseases in the Age of Climate Change,’ the report illustrates examples of diseases that could spread due to temperatures changes and variations in regional precipitation levels.

The “Deadly Dozen” list [ABC order]

1. Avian influenza
2. Babesia
3. Cholera
4. Ebola
5. Intestinal and external parasites
6. Lyme disease
7. Plague
8. Red tides
9. Rift Valley fever
10. Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis)
11. Tuberculosis
12. Yellow fever

RELATED LINKS

• EBOLA Epidemic Spreading in West Africa June 19, 2014
• Sierra Leone “Quarantines” Ebola Affected Area June 14, 2014
• Ebola Kills 100 in West Africa April 5, 2014
• Ebola Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border March 31, 2014
• Ebola Outbreak Kills Dozens March 23, 2014
• Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever Breaks Out in SW Uganda October 20, 2012
• Disaster Calendar – 28 July 2012 July 28, 2012
• Climate Change Spreads “Deadly Dozen” Diseases October 8, 2008

EBOLA Epidemic Spreading in West Africa

EMERGING & RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
DEADLY EBOLA HF EPIDEMIC
SCENARIO 011
.

Death toll from Ebola outbreak in West Africa climbs to 337

Death toll from an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa—Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone— has risen to 337 since February, this year, reported World Health organization (WHO).

The the epidemiological situation as of June 18, 2014 is as follows:

Some 47 new cases and 14 additional deaths were reported across the region last week. Guinea is currently the worst affected country with 264 Ebola-related deaths, while  the death tolls in Sierra Leone has climbed to 49, with  Liberia reporting 24 fatalities.

Guinea (from WHO report)

Between June 14 and 16, 2014 an additional f 7 new cases and 5 new deaths were reported in Guinea, Gueckedou (4 cases and 5 deaths) and Boffa (3 cases and 0 deaths). The cumulative number of cases and deaths reported from Guinea to 398 (254 confirmed, 88 probable and 56 suspected) and 264 deaths, according to WHO.

The geographical distribution of these cases and deaths is as follows: Conakry (70 cases and 33 deaths); Guéckédou (224 cases and 173 deaths); Macenta (41 cases and 28 deaths); Dabola, (4 cases and 4 deaths); Kissidougou (8 cases and 5 deaths); Dinguiraye (1 case and 1 death); Telimele (30 cases and 9 deaths); Bofa (19 cases and 10 deaths) and Kouroussa (1 case and 1 death). Twenty four (24) patients are currently in EVD Treatment Centres: Conakry (6), Guéckédou (9), Telimele (3) and Boffa (6).

The number of contacts currently being followed countrywide is 1,258 and distributed as follows: Conakry (252), Guéckédou (529), Macenta (52), Telimele (118), Dubreka (118) and Boffa (189). So far 69.4% (2,848 contacts being followed-up out of a 4,106 contacts registered since the beginning of the outbreak) have completed the mandatory 21 days observation period.

Possible Outbreak in Senegal and Gambia

News of a possible outbreak in Senegal may have been suppressed. As of early April, Gambia had placed at least two people with suspected EHF under quarantine.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF)

EHF is a highly contagious virus that spreads via close personal contact and kills up to 90% of the victims.

Five subspecies of Ebolavirus have so far been found. Four of those have caused disease in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus); Taï Forest virus (Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus); and Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo ebolavirus). The fifth, Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans, according to CDC.

There are  no known cure or vaccine for the Ebola virus.

In Africa, confirmed cases of Ebola HF have previously been reported in the following countries:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
• Gabon
• South Sudan
• Ivory Coast
• Uganda
• Republic of the Congo (ROC)
• South Africa (imported)

The current outbreak  is the first known occurrence of Ebola HF in Guinea.

“The natural reservoir host of ebolaviruses, and the manner in which transmission of the virus to humans occurs, remain unknown. This makes risk assessment in endemic areas difficult. With the exception of several laboratory contamination cases (one in England and two in Russia), all cases of human illness or death have occurred in Africa; no case has been reported in the United States,” said CDC.

Ebola virions (image 2 colorized 1), diagnostic specimen from the first passage in Vero cells of a specimen from a human patient — this image is from the first isolation and visualization of Ebola virus, 1976. In this case, some of the filamentous virions are fused together, end-to-end, giving the appearance of a “bowl of spaghetti.” Negatively stained virions. Magnification: approximately x40,000.  Micrograph from F. A. Murphy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.

12 deadly pathogens could spread into new regions aided by climate change

A report by Wildlife Conservation Society released on October 7, 2008 lists 12 deadly pathogens that could spread globally as a result of climate change. “All have potential impacts to both human and wildlife health as well as global economies.” Report said.

Titled ‘The Deadly Dozen: Wildlife Diseases in the Age of Climate Change,’ the report illustrates examples of diseases that could spread due to temperatures changes and variations in regional precipitation levels.

The “Deadly Dozen” list [ABC order]

1. Avian influenza
2. Babesia
3. Cholera
4. Ebola
5. Intestinal and external parasites
6. Lyme disease
7. Plague
8. Red tides
9. Rift Valley fever
10. Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis)
11. Tuberculosis
12. Yellow fever

Situation in Conakry (Guinea) – from WHO report

The outbreak in Conakry, capital city of Guinea with total population of about 1.5 million, started on 3 March 2014. It is linked (epidemiologically) to the outbreak in Gueckedou.

• As at 15 June 2014, a total of 68 cases and 33 deaths were reported of which 31 cases recovered and discharged. The distribution of cases by location is shown in figure 3.

• Cumulatively, 1001 contacts were identified of which 668 completed their follow-up and currently 333 are under follow-up.

• The outbreak spread to the following districts: Telimele (30 cases including 9 deaths), Boffa (19 cases including 10 deaths) and Kouroussa (1 case including 1 deaths). The geographical distribution of cases in Telimele and Boffa is shown on the next page.

Situation in Gueckedou, Macenta and Kissidougou (Guinea)

Gueckedou

• The first cases of EVD outbreak in West Africa were reported from Gueckedou district which has a total population of 405,000.

•  The onset of the index case was on 2 December 2013.

•  A total number of 221 cases including 171 deaths were reported; 43 cases were recovered and discharged.

•  Cumulatively, 1911 contacts were identified of which 1366 completed their follow-up and currently 545 are under follow-up.

Macenta

• The outbreak in Macenta district started on 17 February 2014. The total population of the district is 296, 000.

•  A total of 41 cases and 28 deaths were reported of which 12 cases recovered and discharged.

•  Cumulatively, 359 contacts were identified of which 307 completed their follow-up and currently 52 are under follow-up.

Kissidougou

•  The outbreak in Kissidougou district started on 24 February . The total population of the district is 214,000.

• A total of 8 cases and 5 deaths reported of which 3 recovered and discharged.

• No new cases have been reported since 1 April 2014.

RELATED LINKS

• Sierra Leone “Quarantines” Ebola Affected Area June 14, 2014
• Ebola Kills 100 in West Africa April 5, 2014
• Ebola Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border March 31, 2014
• Ebola Outbreak Kills Dozens March 23, 2014
• Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever Breaks Out in SW Uganda October 20, 2012
• Disaster Calendar – 28 July 2012 July 28, 2012
• Climate Change Spreads “Deadly Dozen” Diseases October 8, 2008

 

Ebola Kills 100 in West Africa

DEADLY VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
EBOLA KILLS 100 IN W. AFRICA
MALI SUSPECTS EBOLA HF
.

Mali suspects EHF cases as death toll reaches 100 in W. Africa

Mali health authorities say they have identified possible cases of Ebola HF since the epidemic outbreak in neighboring Guinea.

The outbreak, which originated in Guinea in early March, has since spread to the neighbors Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Guinea has reported an increased total of 127 probable and suspect cases, including 86 deaths (case fatality ratio: 68%), as of April 4, 2014. Of the suspect cases, 35 have been laboratory confirmed positive cases of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), including 14 health care workers and 11 cases in Conakry, the capital, according to various sources.

Liberia has reported 14 suspect cases, which include 7 deaths and 2 laboratory-confirmed cases of EHF from persons with recent travel history to Guinea. Authorities are investigating reports of additional suspect cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak, Guinea and Liberia 2014

Source:  CDC/National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)

Possible Outbreak in Senegal and Gambia

News of a possible outbreak in Senegal may have been suppressed.

Gambia has placed at least two people with suspected EHF under quarantine.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever(EHF)

EHF is a highly contagious virus that spreads via close personal contact and kills up to 90% of the victims.

Five subspecies of Ebolavirus have so far been found. Four of those have caused disease in humans: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus); Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus); Taï Forest virus (Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus); and Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo ebolavirus). The fifth, Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans, according to CDC.

There are  no known cure or vaccine for the Ebola virus.

In Africa, confirmed cases of Ebola HF have previously been reported in the following countries:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
• Gabon
• South Sudan
• Ivory Coast
• Uganda
• Republic of the Congo (ROC)
• South Africa (imported)

The current outbreak  is the first known occurrence of Ebola HF in Guinea.

“The natural reservoir host of ebolaviruses, and the manner in which transmission of the virus to humans occurs, remain unknown. This makes risk assessment in endemic areas difficult. With the exception of several laboratory contamination cases (one in England and two in Russia), all cases of human illness or death have occurred in Africa; no case has been reported in the United States,” said CDC.

Ebola virions (image 2 colorized 1), diagnostic specimen from the first passage in Vero cells of a specimen from a human patient — this image is from the first isolation and visualization of Ebola virus, 1976. In this case, some of the filamentous virions are fused together, end-to-end, giving the appearance of a “bowl of spaghetti.” Negatively stained virions. Magnification: approximately x40,000.  Micrograph from F. A. Murphy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.

12 deadly pathogens could spread into new regions aided by climate change

A report by Wildlife Conservation Society released on October 7, 2008 lists 12 deadly pathogens that could spread globally as a result of climate change. “All have potential impacts to both human and wildlife health as well as global economies.” Report said.

Titled ‘The Deadly Dozen: Wildlife Diseases in the Age of Climate Change,’ the report illustrates examples of diseases that could spread due to temperatures changes and variations in regional precipitation levels.

The “Deadly Dozen” list [ABC]

1. Avian influenza
2. Babesia
3. Cholera
4. Ebola
5. Intestinal and external parasites
6. Lyme disease
7. Plague
8. Red tides
9. Rift Valley fever
10. Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis)
11. Tuberculosis
12. Yellow fever

RELATED LINKS

• Ebola Spreads to Liberia, Senegal Shuts Border March 31, 2014
• Ebola Outbreak Kills Dozens March 23, 2014

• Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever Breaks Out in SW Uganda October 20, 2012
• Disaster Calendar – 28 July 2012 July 28, 2012
• Climate Change Spreads “Deadly Dozen” Diseases Octob