As the united states government usg lead for the response, the u. Over the past 40 years, more than 20 outbreaks have occurred in africa, with most of the known outbreaks occurring in the past 20 years. In the lancet infectious diseases, joseph ws timothy and colleagues2. Within months, ebola would become a global outbreak. The ebola virus can cause severe viral haemorrhagic fever ebola hf outbreaks in. In this brief the bioethics commission focuses on ethical challenges raised by the current ebola epidemic in western africa, with a particular focus on the u. Four of the six known ebolaviruses, including ebov, cause a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans and other mammals, known as ebola virus disease evd. It also has farreaching socioeconomic consequences. In the week 14 to 21 june, 12 new confirmed cases were reported. This article is an overview of the many published investigations of how ebola virus circulates in its natural environment, focusing on. Declaration of the end of ebola virus disease outbreak in the democratic republic of the congo health emergency information and risk assessment 1 health emergency information and risk assessment on 2 july 2017, the world health organization who declared the end of the most recent outbreak of ebola virus disease evd in the. The case is a nurse who was diagnosed with evd on 29 december 2014, after returning from sierra leone to glasgow, via london.
The report examines three affected countries liberia, sierra. Some 16,000 children lost parents or caregivers to ebola. Distribution of ebola virus disease prevalence probability for west africa countries. Pdf several countries spanning the equatorial forest regions of africa have had outbreaks of ebola hemorrhagic fever over the last three decades. Evaluation of unicefs response to the ebola outbreak in. Care and protection of children in the west african ebola. In ebola affected areas, especially sierra leone and liberia where the outbreak is nationwide, the collapse of health care systems is challenging the provision of maternal and new. Public health impact of the 20142015 ebola outbreak in. The outbreak is the first in west africa and has caused an. This can happen when a person touches the infected body fluids or objects that are contaminated with them, such as. The natural history of ebola virus in africa sciencedirect. Although not confirmed by a medical laboratory for more than three months,1 the ebola virus disease evd was on the move, in a socio.
Ebov, is one of six known species within the genus ebolavirus. Rapid risk assessment outbreak of ebola virus disease in west africa, th update, october 2015 5 new developments on 9 october 2015, the uk notified an unusual late complication in an ebola survivor. Ebola virus has caused the majority of human deaths from evd, and was the cause of the. Infection with the virus can damage blood vessels, affect multiple organs e. The current 2014 ebola epidemic outbreak in west africa rst cases noti ed in march 2014 is the largest and most complex ebola outbreak since the ebola virus was rst discovered in 1976, a ecting multiple countries in. The ebola virus first appeared during two 1976 outbreaks in africa. Ebola in west africa cdcs role in epidemic detection.
Analysis of the short and mediumterm costs of the ebola epidemic should spur governments of nonaffected countries to act quickly to put in place preventive measures. This article is an overview of the many published investigations of how ebola virus circulates in its natural environment, focusing on the viral reservoir, susceptible animal species, environmental conditions favoring interspecies transmission, and how. Pdf ebola haemorrhagic fever ehf is a zoonosis affecting both human and nonhuman primates nhp. The zaire subtype of ebola virus had a higher casefatality, nearly 90%, while the sudan subtype had a casefatality rate of approximately 50%. The natural history of ebola virus in africa article pdf. In liberia, ebola virus disease was first reported from lofa county on march 30, 2014, a week after cases in guinea had been reported figure 1. Its economic impact on the west african region was crippling. Evaluation of the usaidofda ebola virus disease outbreak. Abstract the western african ebola virus epidemic 202016 was the most widespread outbreak of ebola virus disease evd in historycausing major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in the countries of guinea, liberia, and sierra leone. Members of the family filoviridae, which cur rently consists of ebola and marburg viruses, cause severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fevers in humans.
The virus also infects and kills other primatessuch as chimpanzees or gorillasthough old. Pdf the natural history of ebola virus in africa researchgate. A large outbreak during 2015 affected west africa guinea, liberia, sierra leone. Endemic to the african tropics, the ebola virus has killed thousands in recent years, putting the world health organization and major donor countries in the limelight as theyve grappled with. Ebola is a rare, often deadly virus that causes a severe illness called hemorrhagic fever. Of these, two tested positive for ebola virus, zaire ebolavirus species, by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction rtpcr on 7 may 2018, and the outbreak was officially declared on 8 may 2018. After ebola in west africa unpredictable risks, preventable epidemics who ebola response team summary between december 20 and april 2016, the larg est epidemic of ebola virus disease evd to date generated more than 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths in the large, mobile populations of guinea, liberia, and sierra leone. Assessing the socioeconomic impacts of ebola virus disease in guinea, liberia and sierra leone the road to recovery i contents foreword ii acknowledgment iv acronyms and abbreviations v executive summary vi part i. Several countries spanning the equatorial forest regions of africa have had outbreaks of ebola hemorrhagic fever over the last three decades. The first cases were recorded in guinea in december 20. Ebola virus is one of the most virulent pathogens known to infect humans. Ebola was first identified in 1976 and occurs in regions of subsaharan africa. Information contained in these slides is constantly changing and updated every friday. As of the end of march 2016, the west africa epidemic of ebola virus disease ebola had resulted in a total of 28,646 cases, 11,323 of them fatal, reported to the world health organization.
Thirty four outbreaks have been reported in africa since it was first recognised in 1976. The index case in this outbreak has not yet been identified and epidemiologic investigations are ongoing, including laboratory testing. This outbreak was unprecedented in scale, with more than 28 000 confirmed cases and 11 000 deaths. The genesis of the ebola virus outbreak in west africa. Before 1995, the last identified outbreak of ebola disease in africa occurred in 1979, when the sudan subtype of ebola virus infected 34 persons. Unicef and partners are continuing to ramp up their response. Since ebola virus disease was staff participated in the smallpox eradication program, one identifiedin west africa on march 23, 2014, the centers for disease control and prevention cdc has undertaken the most intensive response in the agencys history. Heterogeneities in the case fatality ratio in the west african ebola outbreak 202016. Rapid risk assessment outbreak of ebola virus disease in west africa, 12th update, 30 june 2015 3 guinea. The ebola virus, endemic in some parts of africa, is responsible for a severe form of. Office of foreign disaster assistance ofda deployed a disaster. It was soon confirmed to be ebola virus disease, an illness previously seen primarily in central africa. Ebola is terrifying for adults but even more so for children. The 20142015 ebola virus disease evd outbreak was unique in geography and extent, with most of the 28 610 cases and 11 308 deaths, including among healthcare workers hcw, occurring in guinea, liberia and sierra leone.
Western african ebola virus epidemic ozzie anis et al. Development context and health system capacity before the ebola crisis 3 2. Ebola gets its name from the ebola river, which is near one of the villages in the democratic republic of congo where the. The 2016 ebola virus outbreak in west africa was purported to have begun in the guinean village of meliandou in december, 20. Ebola virus disease formerly known as ebola haemorrhagic fever is a severe, often fatal illness, with a death rate of up to 90% caused by ebola virus, a member of the filovirus family. Humans can become infected with the ebola virus after direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from an infected person or animal. Of ebola on africa r e v i s e d e d i t i o n the current outbreak of the ebola virus disease in west africa is the most devastating ebola epidemic that the world has seen since the disease was identified in 1976. Prepared over a period of one year from september 2015 to september 2016, unicef, in partnership with relevant agencies and governments, presents feedback and lessons learned from the child protection programme during the ebola virus disease evd epidemic response in west africa from august 2014 to december 2015. Socioeconomic impact of ebola virus disease in west african. The 2014 ebola virus disease evd outbreak in west africa is the longest, largest, deadliest. Among them, bundibugyo ebolavirus, zaire ebolavirus, and sudan ebolavirus have been associated with large outbreaks in africa.
Introduction the ebola virus is a severe infectious often fatal disease in human and primates. Children exposed to ebola witness death and suffering, lose loved ones, are infected themselves, or have to spend weeks in isolation because they have had contact with. In december 20, a littleknown viral hemorrhagic fever in west africa was detected in a forest region of guinea. Ebola in the drc location of the ebola river, southern sudan and west africa. Events in liberia drew widespread attention to ebola as a threat to global health security including urbanization of the disease. Outbreak of ebola virus disease in west africa ecdc. Ebola virus disease in west africa no early end to the. Reemergence of ebola virus in africa volume 1, number 3. Ebola virus then spreads from person to person through direct contact with blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from ebola virus disease. Summary ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with a strain of ebola virus. Evd is an abrupt onset, severe often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates, including monkeys. The ebola virus disease evd outbreak in west africa has the worst death toll since the disease was diagnosed in 1976. Ebola virus disease evd earlier known as ebola hemorrhagic fever is caused by infection with a virus of the family filoviridae, genus ebolavirus. Since the first outbreaks of ebola virus disease in 1976, there have been numerous other outbreaks in humans across africa with fatality rates ranging from 50% to 90%.
Third appeared in 2014 west africa affecting guinea, sierra, leone, liberia and nigeria. The impact of the outbreak went far beyond those grim figures. Zaire ebolavirus, more commonly known as ebola virus i. Beyond the considerable death toll, the disease has had a noticeable. There are normally fewer than 500 cases reported each year, and no. Ebola virus disease evd, one of the deadliest virus diseases has affected a number of african countries periodically ever since 1976. Socioeconomic impact of ebola virus disease in west. Mapping the zoonotic niche of ebola virus disease in africa. Additional cases in may and june heralded the countrys severe outbreak. The western african ebola virus epidemic 202016 was the most widespread outbreak of ebola virus disease evd in historycausing major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in guinea, liberia and sierra leone. Ebola virus disease who regional office for africa.
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