Sierra Leone - Ebola outbreak: 13 155 clinical cases including 3 940 deaths (WHO, July 8, 2015)

[Shiloh]

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/0...0MJ0B220140322


Guinea haemorrhagic fever may have crossed into Sierra Leone
FREETOWN, March 22 Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:32pm IST

(Reuters) - An outbreak of haemorrhagic fever that has killed 29 people in Guinea may have spread across the border into neighbouring Sierra Leone, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) document and a senior Sierra Leone health official...

...Sierra Leone's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brima Kargbo said authorities were investigating the case of a 14-year-old, who died in the town of Buedu in the eastern Kailahun District.

The boy had travelled to Guinea to attend the funeral of one of the outbreak's earlier victims.

Kargbo said a medical team had been sent to Buedu to test those who came into contact with the boy before his death...

[sharon sanders]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever may have crossed into Sierra Leone

Ebola has been confirmed as the hemorrhagic fever in Guinea:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=528898#post528898

[Shiloh]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever (confirmed as ebola) may have crossed into Sierra Leone

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/two...0#.UzGfWF5pehc


?Two suspected Ebola cases in S Leone?
March 25 2014 at 04:36pm

...Karbo told reporters one of the cases concerned a 14-year-old boy who is thought to have died two weeks ago in Guinea and then been taken back to his village on the Sierra Leonean side of the border in the eastern district of Kono.

He said the second suspected case was in the northern border district Kambia, without giving any further details except that the patient was still alive...

[Pathfinder]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever (confirmed as ebola) may have crossed into Sierra Leone

No "confirmed" ebola case in Sierra Leone: Chief Medical Officer

English.news.cn 2014-03-26 21:59:18

FREETOWN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation said Wednesday that there is no "confirmed" ebola case in Sierra Leone.

Dr. Brima Kargbo told in a telephone interview that since the outbreak in the Republic of Guinea about three weeks ago the Ministry dispatched a disease surveillance team to the suspected community in Kailahun District in the border between Guinea and Sierra Leone to confirm a reported death case of a person with ebola.

Kargbo said the team discovered that there was no such case.

A civil society activist however reported on a local radio Wednesday morning that he got a report from a councillor in the Kambia District, north of Sierra Leone, that four people are reported dead of bleeding, suspected to be ebola to which the Chief Medical Officer responded that the ministry has dispatched a health team to ascertain and confirm the report.

Kargbo insisted that it has not yet being confirmed as it is only the laboratory test that can confirm it.
...

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/health/2014-03/26/c_133216309.htm

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever (confirmed as ebola) may have crossed into Sierra Leone

Four allege death of Ebola in Kambia District
Published On : 2014-03-26 01:35:14



At a press briefing held on Tuesday 25th March, 2014, at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation Youyi Building in Freetown, the Minister of Health and Sanitation Miatta Kargbo has disclosed to battery of journalists that on Monday night she received a text message from Kambia District northern Sierra Leone that four ( 4 )people have allegedly reported death of Ebola disease.

?The ministry has sent a medical team to ascertain the cause of their death? says the minister.
...
Dr. Kargbo further noted that the allege reported case being circulated on local and international media, 14 years old boy died of Ebola disease in Sierra Leone was not correct information. He stated that the boy in question died at Fangamandu Village in Guinea two weeks ago and later the family brought the corpse at Biodu village , Sowah Chiefdom in Kono District for burial.



A medical response team has been dispatched to collect blood samples of all those who by any means laid hands on the decease. Their blood samples will be taken to the Kenema District Hospital where there is a state of the art laboratory for examination Dr. Kargbo told journalists.


He further revealed that in Kenema district, Lassa fever is prevalent. Lassa fever has similar sympothoms to that of Ebola. Lassa fever, can lead to similar symptoms -- vomiting, diarrhoea and profuse bleeding. ?The case of Ebola is different because it has to be proven in a laboratory? Dr. Kargbo told the press.
...
By Sallieu Sesay: Mysierraleoneonline.com

http://mysierraleoneonline.com/sl_portal/site/news/detail/2430

[Donners]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever (confirmed as ebola) may have crossed into Sierra Leone

Has there been any news on the outcome of tests of these suspected cases?

I saw a Reuters article today reporting it as fact that Ebola had reached Sierra Leone, but have not seen any report about test restults.

[Pathfinder]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever (confirmed as ebola) may have crossed into Sierra Leone

Combatting Ebola in Sierra Leone

Friday 4 April 2014.
By Oswald Hanciles, Freetown, Sierra Leone.

As of today, 4 April 2014, there are NO laboratory confirmed cases of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. The Ministry of Health & Sanitation is closely collaborating with the World Health Organization and Metabiota to provide rapid diagnostics and case investigations by MOHS personnel.
...
On March 30th 2014, the MOHS of Sierra Leone has carried out 4 epidemiological investigations with multidisciplinary field teams to investigate suspected cases reported by local health centers. Over 15 suspected cases (contact with confirmed from a suspected infected patient from Guinea) have been investigated by the field team, at which time blood samples were collected, tested negative by RT-PCR for all existing known five Ebola virus species. Samples from two patients from Guinea, collected by the Guinean authorities (border proximity of the investigation field teams) were also referenced to the Kenema laboratory and were found to negative for Ebola, Marburg, Yellow Fever and Lassa fever by RT-PCR.

Since that time, 2 additional suspected cases from Sierra Leone were tested and found to be Negative.

...Kenema Government Hospital has been designated as the central treatment facility for anyone suspected of contracting either Ebola or Lassa fever. This facility specializes in the treatment and management of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever. A specialized infectious disease ambulance previously provided by Metabiota for the transport of acutely ill Lassa fever patients is being used to transport suspected cases and every precaution made to protect both health care workers and local populations from the risk of spread of the diseases.
...

Full text:

http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/spip.php?article7710

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever (confirmed as ebola) may have crossed into Sierra Leone

Ebola virus disease, West Africa (Situation as of 5 April 2014)
5 April 2014

http://www.afro.who.int/en/clusters-a-programmes/dpc/epidemic-a-pandemic-alert-and-response/outbreak-news/4079-ebola-virus-disease-west-africa-5-april-2014.html

...
There has been no change in the situation in Sierra Leone following the deaths of 2 probable cases of EVD in one family who died in Guinea and their bodies repatriated to Sierra Leone.

The office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is coordinating all operations involving suspected cases of Ebola as well as the follow-up investigations.

Enhanced surveillance and public education activities are continuing. Senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) have visited border crossings between Sierra Leone and Guinea to sensitise border authorities about current prevention and response plans and public health medical officers are visiting border communities to support social mobilisation activities.

Metabiota Laboratory in Kenema working under the MOHS and with the WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone, has established a full suite of ebolavirus-specific assays and differential diagnostics for other important viral haemorrhagic fevers that are locally endemic. The full range of assays is described in the section of this report for Metabiota activities in Liberia.

As this is a rapidly changing situation, the number of reported cases and deaths, contacts under medical observation and the number of laboratory results are subject to daily changes due to consolidation of case, contact and laboratory data, enhanced surveillance and contact tracing activities and ongoing laboratory investigations.
...

[alert]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever (confirmed as ebola) may have crossed into Sierra Leone

Hat-tip IOH.

Two cases have been confirmed as Lassa, not Ebola:

http://www.who.int/csr/don/don_updates/en/

[snip]

There has been no change in the epidemiological situation of EVD in Sierra Leone. The Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone has confirmed that 2 suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fever are laboratory confirmed as Lassa fever which is endemic in Sierra Leone.

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever (confirmed as ebola) may have crossed into Sierra Leone

Via Twitter https://twitter.com/HaertlG

Gregory H?rtl @HaertlG 13h
#Ebola in West Africa:101 suspect/probable/confirmed deaths in #Guinea,12 s/p/c deaths in #Liberia,2 in SierraLeone. http://goo.gl/WoamS7

Paweł @Pawixx 2h
@MackayIM @HaertlG correct me if I am wrong, but I do not recall they were confirmed as Lassa. It was the case for the girl in Freetown.

Gregory H?rtl @HaertlG 2h
.@Pawixx @MackayIM Just checked here. They were not Lassa cases.

Ian M Mackay, PhD @MackayIM 2h
@HaertlG @Pawixx Found it. This SitRep says SL case were confirm as Lassa? Wrong? http://www.afro.who.int/en/clusters-...pril-2014.html ?

Gregory H?rtl @HaertlG 2h
.@MackayIM @Pawixx Different cases. Here are the 2 probables: http://t.co/T1jry6ZQs8 #Ebola #SierraLeone

Ian M Mackay, PhD @MackayIM 1h
@HaertlG @Pawixx Okay. So 2 that were Lassa POS and *another* 2 cases that are still awaiting test results? Unclear in reports.

Gregory H?rtl @HaertlG 51m
@MackayIM @Pawixx the 2 probables will never be tested because they died. hence they will remain probables. #ebola
from Pregny-Chamb?sy

[Pathfinder]

Re: Guinea haemorrhagic fever (confirmed as ebola) may have crossed into Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone ? there are no suspected cases of Ebola

By: Ralph Ese'Donnu Sawyerr - IA - Senegal and The Gambia on April 18, 2014.

BANJUL THE GAMBIA - Sierra Leone?s newly appointed Ambassador to The Gambia, His Excellency Ambassador Basiru Soulay Daramy has informed a cross section of Sierra Leoneans at his Fajara residence that there is no case of Ebola anywhere in Sierra Leone.

His Excellency in his address to Sierra Leoneans confirmed that The Gambia transport minister four days ago ordered Airlines operating in the Gambia ?not to pick up passengers in Freetown, Liberia and Conakry as bound passengers to Banjul? due to what they referred to as suspected cases of the deadly Ebola virus in these neighboring countries.
...
According to the Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Sierra Leone, Dr. Brima Kargbo in an April 12 letter to the world governing body, has confirmed the same, there is no laboratory confirmed Case of Ebola. The report added that so far rumored suspected cases have been tested using RT- PCR and ELISA and all proven to be negative for Ebola.
...
Ambassador Soulay Daramy as a result of the overwhelmingly fact herein attached, wishes the Gambian government and authorities to be appraised of the embarrassed and discomfort the action and inactions of The Gambia Airlines has caused on the free movement of Sierra Leoneans to the Gambia and international visitors travelling out of Sierra Leone through The Gambia Bird.
...

Full text:

http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/66817

[Treyfish]

Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone

Ebola virus disease, West Africa (Update of 26 May 2014)




Sierra Leone
The World Health Organization was notified on May 25, 2014 of an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone. Preliminary information received from the field indicates that six cases and deaths (one laboratory confirmed case and five community deaths) have been reported from Koindu chiefdom. This chiefdom shares border with the current Ebola virus disease hotspot Gu?ck?dou in Guinea. The laboratory analysis of the case was done at the VHF laboratory in Kenema, Sierra Leone.
While waiting for additional epidemiological information, the following measures have been initiated by national authorities with support from WHO: meeting of the national emergency Ebola task force to discuss the current situation and proposed preventive and response to be implemented immediately; deployment of a team to the field to conduct epidemiological investigations and initiated preliminary response measures and development of funding proposals based on the existing national EVD preparedness and response plan. WHO held a three level coordination meeting to review the current situation, carry-out risk assessment based on available data and information and measures to be taken to control the outbreak. These include among others:

1. immediate deployment of six international experts in the areas of coordination, epidemiology, social mobilization, case management/infection prevention and control, data management and logistics;
2. provision of catalytic funds by WHO to support initial investigation and response activities;
3. development of proposals to access the African Public Health Emergency Fund (funding mechanism established by all the Ministers of Health in the WHO African Region ) and other funding sources and
4. deployment of essential supplies and reagents.

WHO does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event. http://www.afro.who.int/en/clusters-...-may-2014.html

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone

From yesterday;

Health Ministry Addresses Social Media Report on Ebola death in Kailahun

By: State House Communications Unit on May 26, 2014.

Freetown, May 25, 014 (MOHS) ? The Ministry of Health and Sanitation has expressed concern over the report in the social media of nine (9) deaths of Ebola in the Kailahun district.

The general public is hereby informed that the recent event of diarrhoea and vomiting in the Koindu Town, Kissi Teng Chiefdom, Kailahun district which has been shared in the social media as an Ebola outbreak in the Kailahun district are currently being investigated.
...

As of May 25, 2014, report received from the District Medical Officer Kailahun district, and the Directorate of Disease Prevention and Control indicate that eleven (11) cases of acute diarrhoea and vomiting reported, of which four (4) died and the five (5) admitted at the Koindu Community Health Centre are responding to treatment. Two out of the eleven (11) cases have already been discharged.

...

Ag. CMO/MOHS

- See more at: http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/ar....AE4T3zha.dpuf

[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone

Four died of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone


Monday, May 26, 2014 at 2:27 p.m.

(Belga) Four people have died of Ebola in eastern Sierra Leone, a country bordering the Guinea where this highly contagious virus has since January dozens of deaths, announced Monday the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health.
Four died of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone


The disease appeared in the villages of the area Koindu and "we recorded four deaths," said the director of the Prevention and Control of Disease in Ministry of Health, Dr Amara Jambai, in an interview with a local radio . At least 218 cases of viral hemorrhagic fever (141 fatalities) have been reported since January in Guinea, according to the latest WHO report released April 25. (Belga)http://translate.google.com/translat...0637984947.htm

[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone

26 May 2014 Last updated at 08:55 ET Ebola outbreak: Sierra Leone confirms first deaths

The epicentre of the Ebola outbreak has been in south-eastern Guinea


Four people, including a health worker, have died of Ebola in eastern Sierra Leone, the first confirmed cases in the country, the health ministry has said.
They died in Kailahun district, which borders Gueckedou in Guinea where the outbreak started in March and has killed more than 145 people.
..'Scared' Dr Amara Jambai, the director of disease prevention and control at Sierra Leone's health ministry, said the deaths had occurred over the last three to four days.
He said people who developed a fever should immediately report a medical facility and an emergency medical team has been deployed to the remote area.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27576831