Guinea - Ebola outbreak - 2021 - 23 cases including 12 deaths - declared over

[Treyfish]

February 15, 2021


....“Already an investigation will help the health authorities of N'Z?r?kor? to be able to delimit the affected area. And identify all the localities whose members took part in this burial. And physical contact so that we can demarcate the area and identify the contacts for the purpose of isolating them and possibly vaccinated them. This support mission will move tonight.

The second mission is to trace the cases that escaped from N'Z?r?kor? who were isolated in Conakry and to find all the people with whom they had contact in order to isolate them for investigation ”, he added. unveiled Sakoba Ke?ta before inviting citizens to practices that could prevent them from contracting the disease, including, among other things, washing hands, disinfecting homes, avoiding braces and refraining from leaving the N'Z?r?kor? area and less yet to go to a neighboring country......https://guinee114.com/reapparition-d...al-dans-loeuf/

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Reappearance of the Ebola virus in Guinea: "the case began in early December 2020 in N'Z?r?kor?" (DRS)
February 15, 2021

.....And, at the end of this meeting, Dr H?l?ne Sira Guilavogui, in charge of training, planning and research at the regional directorate of health of N'z?r?kor?, revealed that the reappearance of the Ebola virus dates back to the very beginning of December 2020, reports the correspondent of Guineematin.com in the capital of the forest region.

According to the training, planning and research officer at the N'z?r?kor? regional health directorate, the causes of the resurgence of the Ebola virus in Guinea are not yet known. However, Dr H?l?ne Sira Guilavogui specifies that it was at the beginning of last December that the previously known zero patient (a 51-year-old nurse) presented to the Gou?ck? health center with vomiting and diarrhea. . The diagnosis which had been made to him had then concluded to a severe anemia.

“On February 12, we were informed by the director of the hospital of the arrival of some suspicious cases; and, immediately, the DPS and the DRS, went to the bedside of these patients. Samples were taken and sent to Gu?ck?dou and Conakry for analysis. But the investigation team continued to Gou?ck? where the suspected cases resided.
In the field, during the investigation, we also noted another case which was sick in the family. He was transferred to the hospital. But, as of today, we have two cases who are hospitalized at the CT-EPI in N'Z?r?kor?. A case that was referred to Conakry and two cases that died and whose bodies are in the N'Z?r?kor? morgue, awaiting a dignified and secure burial ...

What I can assure you, This is because the case began in early December 2020 when the old woman (51-year-old nurse) presented to the Gou?ck? health center. But, the diagnosis that was made was a diagnosis of severe anemia. She was hospitalized for 5 days at the health center and was released. And, a few days later, she passed away.
In the meantime, her sister-in-law who looked after her during her convalescence also developed the same approximate signs as the old woman. And, over time, she, too, passed away. This is how the other members of the family (brothers and sisters) also saw themselves in the same picture, ”explained Dr H?l?ne Sira Guilavogui.

... I would like to ask the population not to panic, to play the games of the services of health and games for all those who are concerned by the fight against this disease to prevent it from spreading throughout the country ”, said Saa Yola Tolno,

https://guineematin.com/2021/02/15/r...nzerekore-drs/

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“..Of those who attended the funeral, eight people showed signs: diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. Three of them died and four others were hospitalized in Nz?r?kor?. " He said a patient had " escaped " but was found and hospitalized in Conakry...https://lelynx.net/2021/02/guinee-le...ie-de-covid19/

[Treyfish]

FEBRUARY 16, 20216:11
Five dead in new Ebola outbreak in Guinea

By Reuters Staff


CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea has recorded up to 10 suspected cases of Ebola and five people have died since the start of a new outbreak of the deadly virus in the southeast of the West African nation, medical authorities said on Tuesday.

Guinea’s ministry of health said it has identified 115 contacts of the known cases in the city of Nzerekore in the country’s south east and 10 in the capital Conakry since the outbreak was confirmed on Sunday.

Unlike the deadliest known o..https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h...AG13X?rpc=401&

[Treyfish]

New Ebola outbreak, Conakry gets organized

• February 17, 2021
• Stuck

GUINEA - Five Ebola victims have been confirmed in Guinea; then there are twelve suspected or confirmed cases and 125 identified contacts, of which ten in the capital Conakry. The budget is temporary and destined to get worse. Five years after the end of the epidemic that claimed more than 11,000 lives in West Africa, the virus has re-emerged in Guinea, in Goueck?, on the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone.

https://www.infoafrica.it/2021/02/17/nuovo-focolaio-di-ebola-conakry-si-organizza/

[sharon sanders]

bump this

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...The “patient zero” is believed to be a nurse from Gou?ck? who was hospitalised in the city of Nz?r?kor? until her death in late January. Several people who attended her funeral on 1st February subsequently contracted the virus, while efforts to trace other potential contacts are ongoing.

“Before her death she was in contact with many people,” said Pierre Ngom, resident representative of UNICEF, which is focusing on risk communication, community engagement and hygiene. “She attended a religious pilgrimage and family ceremonies. It’s very difficult to investigate whether these took place before she contracted the disease or not.”...https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-h...guineas-ebola/

[Treyfish]

February 17, 2021 At 22 10 55 02552
6 deaths due to Ebola in Guinea: a serious mistake that costs money?


A serious error by the agents of the Gou?k? health center would have favored the spread of the Ebola virus, which reappeared recently in this sub-prefecture located more than 40 kilometers from the city of N'Z?r?kor? (in southern Guinea). The latter would have made a false diagnosis on a patient they received in December 2020 and who would be the first case of Ebola. It was the health authorities of N'Z?r?kor? who announced the news on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, reports the correspondent of Guineematin.com on the spot.

Contrary to what has been announced so far, the Ebola virus did not reappear at the end of January in Guinea, but long before. The nurse who died between January 27 and January 2021 is therefore not the first victim of this disease. Her stepmother, a 70-year-old who died in December 2020 at the Gou?k? health center, is said to be patient zero (the first case). In any case, this is what the daily report of the Ebola hemorrhagic fever response teams published this Wednesday, February 17 in N'Z?r?kor?.

According to this report, the old woman was hospitalized at the Gou?k? health center after developing a vaginal hemorrhage. Health workers who diagnosed her concluded that she had "severe anemia". But, a few weeks after her death, the nurse who was caring for her and who happens to be her stepdaughter fell ill and also died. Several people who attended his funeral subsequently fell ill and three of them died.
This is why, a few days after the tests which revealed the presence of the Ebola virus disease in Gou?k?, the health authorities decided to count the old woman among the victims of Ebola. Which makes 6 deaths caused by the epidemic since its resurgence in Guinea. Deaths, most of which are believed to be due to the false diagnosis made by the health workers who received the first patient and which led to new contaminations.

As for contacts, they went from 164 to 216 in N'Z?r?kor?, announce the health authorities.
https://guineematin.com/2021/02/17/6...ui-coute-cher/

[sharon sanders]

bump this

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Disease outbreak news: Ebola virus disease – Guinea (17 February 2021)

FormatNews and Press Release Source

• WHO

Posted 18 Feb 2021 Originally published 17 Feb 2021 Origin View original
On 14 February 2021, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Guinea informed WHO of a cluster of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases in the sub-prefecture of Gou?ck?, Nz?r?kor? Region, Guinea between 18 January and 13 February 2021. The cases showed symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding after attending the burial of another relative (a 51 year-old nurse) on 1 February 2021.

The index case of the cluster was a nurse who had originally presented at a health centre in Gou?ck? on 18 January 2021 with headache, physical weakness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and fever. She was diagnosed with typhoid. She sought a second consultation at a health facility in Nz?r?kor? on 23 January 2021 for fever, vomiting, liquid stools, and physical weakness, and she was diagnosed with malaria. On 24 January she consulted a traditional practitioner in Nz?r?kor?, and she died on 28 January 2021. She was buried unsafely on 1 February in Gou?ck?. The other six cases are the five family members and the traditional practitioner she visited.

Among the seven cases, five have died (4 probable and 1 confirmed). The other two confirmed cases are currently in isolation in dedicated health care facilities in Conakry and Gou?ck?, Nz?r?kor? region.

The Ebolavirus species is not yet determined. Additional laboratory analyses are on-going to ascertain virus species.

As of 15 February, one hundred and ninety-two (192) contacts have been identified, including 164 contacts in N’Z?r?kor? Health District and 28 in Ratoma Health District, Conakry. To date, no contacts have been reported to have travelled in neighboring countries.
However, Nz?r?kor? is the second-largest city in Guinea and lies at the intersection of roads from Ganta (in Liberia), Danan? (C?te d’Ivoire), and roads to other major hubs in Guinea like Kankan and Macenta in (Guinea). Therefore, there is concern about the exportation of EVD cases into the neighboring countries.

Public health response

On 14 February 2021, following the declaration of the EVD outbreak, the MoH of Guinea convened a crisis meeting.

The MoH , WHO, Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) partners, have initiated measures to control the outbreak and prevent further spread. To coordinate the response, the MoH activated the national and district emergency management committees. They also advised the public to take measures to avert the spread of the disease, and to report any persons with symptoms to seek care. Multidisciplinary teams have been deployed to the field to; actively search and provide care for cases, trace and follow-up contacts, and sensitize communities on infection prevention and control. Planned and in-progress response measures include the following:

• Identify the source of the current outbreak;
• Identify and follow-up contacts of all confirmed and probable cases;
• Isolate all suspected cases, and assure their care;
• Put in place infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in health care facilities including train staff, establish triage processes, assess PPE supplies and access to hand hygiene resources and implement protocols for environmental cleaning and disinfection;
• Conduct Assessments of health facility IPC preparedness using scorecard and develop action plans;
• Strengthen case investigation, including active case finding in health care facilities;
• Alert and inform all existing care services in the region;
• Support laboratory capacities to process specimens from suspected case in a timely manner;
• Strengthen public information and awareness of compliance with prevention and protection measures, including reporting to health services as soon as the first symptoms appear;
• Promote safe and dignified burial of suspected, probable and confirmed deaths;
• Initiate a ring vaccination strategy and vaccinate frontline workers.
• Mobilize response resources;
• Strengthen the capacity of the N'Z?r?kor? Ebola Treatment Centre
• Set up response commissions with the authorities and partners, including WHO, the Red Cross, Deutsche Gesellschaft f?r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), UNICEF, and UNFPA;

WHO support for the Guinean authorities

• WHO will help supply vaccines, therapeutics, reagents and personal protective equipment.
• WHO will be part of the partner coordination.
• WHO will be involved in all pillars of the response, and will help to strengthen response in each area
• WHO will recruit and deploy human resources to N'Z?r?kor? region to support investigation, contact tracing and vaccination.
• In coordination with partners, WHO will work to reinforce risk communication and community engagement by deploying communicators and socio anthropologists.
• WHO will provide logistic support, hygiene kits and IPC materials, where they are needed.

WHO risk assessment

WHO considers the risk of spread in the country as very high given the unknown size, duration and origin of the outbreak; potentially large number of contacts; potential spread to other parts of Guinea and neighboring countries; limited response capacity currently on the ground; and unknown virus strain. In addition, there are ongoing challenges for the public health system due to the COVID-19 epidemic, and recent yellow fever and measles outbreaks.

WHO assess the risk for the region as high. The Nz?r?kor? Region of Guinea shares borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia, where EVD outbreaks occurred previously. Despite some movement restrictions across official border-crossings due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a significant proportion of cross-border movement continues to take place and poses a risk of EVD spread. It is therefore essential that neighboring countries assess their preparedness capacities and implement readiness/response measures.

The countries in the region should:

• Conduct preparedness and readiness assessment
• Develop preparedness and readiness plan
• Map out immediate activities
• Activate IMS for preparedness

WHO advice

WHO advises the following risk reduction measures as an effective way to reduce EVD transmission:

• Continue to train and retrain the health workforce for early detection, isolation and treatment of EVD cases as well as on safe and dignified burials and IPC measures;
• Prepare for vaccination of health workers and implement ring vaccination around confirmed cases;
• Engage with communities in responding to the outbreak and to reinforce safe and dignified burial practices;
• Ensure availability of personal protective equipment and IPC supplies to manage ill patients and for decontamination in health care and community settings;
• Ensure availability of biomedical equipment, essential medicines and therapeutics to care for patients with EVD;
• Ensure implementation of a referral system: screening and triage at health centres with referral pathways to designated Ebola treatment centres;
• Conduct health facility assessments (“Scorecard”) of adherence to IPC measures
• Reduce the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission (through contact with fruit bats, monkeys and apes) through community education on how to: Handle wildlife with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing; and cook animal products (blood and meat) thoroughly before consumption;
• Reduce the risk of human-to-human transmission from direct or close contact with people with EVD symptoms, particularly with their bodily fluids: Wear appropriate personal protective equipment when taking care of ill patients; and wash hands regularly including after any contact with patients or when coming into contact with any body fluids.
• To reduce the risk of possible transmission from virus persistence in some body fluids of survivors, WHO recommends providing medical care, psychological support and biological testing (until two consecutive negative tests) through an EVD survivors care programme.

Based on the current risk assessment and prior evidence on Ebola outbreaks, WHO advises against any restriction of travel and trade to Guinea.
https://reliefweb.int/report/guinea/...-february-2021

[Treyfish]

Ebola: 11 contacts from Gou?k? found in Diawassou in Lola

By
Alidjou Moribadougou Sylla -

February 18, 20210

After the detection of the first cases of Ebola in the locality of Gou?ck?, 11 contacts from this sub-prefecture located about forty kilometers from N'Z?r?kor? were found in Diawassou, a district of the Kokota sub-prefecture in the Lola prefecture.
To date, specialized health facilities have identified 11 contacts in Diawassou, in the Kokota sub-prefecture in Lola prefecture. A mission which was led by the ANSS.

Asked this morning by our correspondent, the mayor of Kokota M?nin? Dor? said that a daughter from Diawassou was married to Gouek?. And that after the death of her husband from Ebola in N'Z?r?kor?, her brother-in-law residing in Diawassou left to take the children on February 13, 2021, to prevent them from contracting the epidemic.

“When they arrived in the village, the district president informed them to stay in quarantine to avoid any contact with the population. On February 15, the sub-prefect and the municipal authorities were informed directly. We then went there to educate the population. They were sensitized by the sub-prefect and myself, as well as the nurse of Kokota ”, according to the mayor of Kokota M?nin? Dor?.

https://www.guineenews.org/ebola-11-...sou-dans-lola/

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....Doctor Adama Kaba announced the arrival of vaccines for the prevention of the epidemic on Sunday February 21, 2021 in Nz?r?kor?. According to him, the vaccination campaign will be launched on Monday, February 22, 2021, in particular in Nz?r?kor?, as in Gou?ck?.

Regarding the report for the day of February 17, 2021, no new confirmed case has been recorded, nor any new death. However, 61 new contacts were registered, including 31 at the regional hospital, 5 in Lola and 25 in Gou?ck?.

“ No new confirmed cases have been recorded so far. However, there was the identification and transfer to the CTEPI of a new suspected case at the regional hospital of Nz?r?kor?.
Also, 61 contacts including 31 at the regional hospital, 5 in Diawassou in Lola and 25 in Gou?ck?, were recorded.
The 5 contacts lost seen in Gou?ck? have been found.

To date, there are 3 suspected cases including one identified yesterday, and the other two who had been tested whose results were negative. Probably today they will be tested again to confirm their final results. The cumulative number of confirmed cases is 3, including two in Nz?r?kor?, one in Nongo. To date, we have 4 probable cases.

Nowadays, 69 contacts are followed in Nz?r?kor? (…). The number of contacts to be followed in Gou?ck? is 142. Currently 141 contacts are being followed (…) the cumulative number of contacts to be followed is 165. (…) The total number of contacts to be followed is 218 against 217 currently followed ”, announced Doctor Sera H?l?ne Guilavogui, training officer, research planning, at the regional health directorate of Nz?r?kor?.

An investigation team is due to travel this Thursday to go to Gou?ck? in order to continue investigations into the origin of the resurgence of the epidemic. Awareness teams are mobilizing in the field to prepare citizens to agree to be vaccinated to prevent the disease.
The statistics published this Thursday, February 18, 2021 by the National Health Security Agency (ANSS) are as follows:

• No new suspected case recorded as of February 16, 2021;
• No new confirmed case recorded as of February 16, 2021;
• No new deaths recorded as of February 16, 2021;
• Cumulative of three (3) confirmed cases and four (4) probable cases;
• Two (2) confirmed cases hospitalized at the CT-Epi in Nongo (Conakry) and N'Zerekore;
• Cumulative of five (5) deaths including four (4) probable cases and one (1) confirmed case;

To date, 234 contacts have been followed out of 250, for a follow-up rate of 94%. ”...https://www.africaguinee.com/article...t-une-mauvaise

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Ebola In Guinea: At Least 279 Contacts Listed Between Nz?r?kor? And Lola, The Vaccine Announced.

By Actuguinee.Org Updated Feb 18, 2021
The number of contacts of the Ebola epidemic is growing in the Nz?r?kor? region. Apart from the prefecture of Nz?r?kor? and the capital Conakry, some contacts were recorded in the prefecture of Lola. Is this a risk of spreading the virus, nothing is less certain.

.... The cumulative number of confirmed cases is 3 including two in Nz?r?kor?, one in Nongo and we have 4 probable cases. Nowadays, 69 contacts are followed in Nz?r?kor?, new contact registered 31, contact remaining in the follow-up 100. The number of contacts to follow in Gou?ck? is 142, follow-up 141, number of new contacts 25, cumulative contacts to follow 165. In Womey, 5 contacts to follow and who are regularly followed up. In Cogota in Lola, follow-up contact number 2, new contact 5, which makes 7 the number of contacts to follow.

In total, number of contacts to be followed 218, number of contacts followed up 217. Number of new contacts to be followed 61, contact remaining in the follow-up, 279 ”, confided Doctor Guilavogui Sera H?l?ne, in charge of training, research planning to the management regional health center of Nz?r?kor?. which makes 7 the number of contacts to follow. ...

During the meeting, Doctor Adama Kaba announced the arrival of the vaccine for the prevention of the disease for Sunday, February 21, 2021. An awareness team would be set up to initiate the awareness of the population facing the vaccination which must start on Monday February 22, 2021.

Jean Kouloubo KALIVOGUI, regional correspondent in Forest Guinea, for Actuguinee.org
https://actuguinee.org/index.php/202...accin-annonce/

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Ebola in Guinea: 5 dead, "vaccines arrive on February 21" (ANSS)

PAR Guinee 114
February 18, 2021

The announcement was made this Thursday, February 18 by Doctor Sakoba Ke?ta, Director General of the National Agency for Health Security during a press briefing.

“To date we have three (3) confirmed cases, four (4) probable cases. And among the 03 confirmed cases, there is one who died. Which completes the number of deaths to five, four probable cases plus one of the confirmed cases. In hospitalization, we have a confirmed case in N'Z?r?kor? and a case in Nongo in the commune of Ratoma in Conakry. The contacts of these patients who have been registered until yesterday and taken care of are 250 including 218 in N'Z?r?kor? and 32 in Conakry and all treated and monitored ”, announced Doctor Sakoba K?ita.

In addition, the Director General of the National Agency for Health Security indicated that vaccines against Ebola will be received on Sunday February 21 at 3:30 p.m. Arrangements are being made by the government for these vaccines to arrive in N'Z?r?kor? on Monday morning before 10 a.m. and that the vaccination campaign be launched at 11 a.m., in N'Z?r?kor?, Gou?k? and Conakry at the same time.
"For a start we will have 11,000 500 doses of vaccines for the three vaccination sites," said the Director General of the National Agency for Health Security.

https://guinee114.com/ebola-en-guine...-fevrier-anss/

[Treyfish]

Ebola virus disease – Guinea


Disease outbreak news
17 February 2021

On 14 February 2021, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Guinea informed WHO of a cluster of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases in the sub-prefecture of Gou?ck?, Nz?r?kor? Region, Guinea between 18 January and 13 February 2021. The cases showed symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding after attending the burial of another relative (a 51 year-old nurse) on 1 February 2021.

The index case of the cluster was a nurse who had originally presented at a health centre in Gou?ck? on 18 January 2021 with headache, physical weakness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and fever. She was diagnosed with typhoid. She sought a second consultation at a health facility in Nz?r?kor? on 23 January 2021 for fever, vomiting, liquid stools, and physical weakness, and she was diagnosed with malaria.
On 24 January she consulted a traditional practitioner in Nz?r?kor?, and she died on 28 January 2021. She was buried unsafely on 1 February in Gou?ck?. The other six cases are the five family members and the traditional practitioner she visited.

Among the seven cases, five have died (4 probable and 1 confirmed). The other two confirmed cases are currently in isolation in dedicated health care facilities in Conakry and Gou?ck?, Nz?r?kor? region.

The Ebolavirus species is not yet determined. Additional laboratory analyses are on-going to ascertain virus species.

As of 15 February, one hundred and ninety-two (192) contacts have been identified, including 164 contacts in N’Z?r?kor? Health District and 28 in Ratoma Health District, Conakry. To date, no contacts have been reported to have travelled in neighboring countries. However, Nz?r?kor? is the second-largest city in Guinea and lies at the intersection of roads from Ganta (in Liberia), Danan? (C?te d’Ivoire), and roads to other major hubs in Guinea like Kankan and Macenta in (Guinea). Therefore, there is concern about the exportation of EVD cases into the neighboring countries.
Public health response


On 14 February 2021, following the declaration of the EVD outbreak, the MoH of Guinea convened a crisis meeting.

The MoH , WHO, Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) partners, have initiated measures to control the outbreak and prevent further spread. To coordinate the response, the MoH activated the national and district emergency management committees. They also advised the public to take measures to avert the spread of the disease, and to report any persons with symptoms to seek care. Multidisciplinary teams have been deployed to the field to; actively search and provide care for cases, trace and follow-up contacts, and sensitize communities on infection prevention and control. Planned and in-progress response measures include the following:

• Identify the source of the current outbreak;
• Identify and follow-up contacts of all confirmed and probable cases;
• Isolate all suspected cases, and assure their care;
• Put in place infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in health care facilities including train staff, establish triage processes, assess PPE supplies and access to hand hygiene resources and implement protocols for environmental cleaning and disinfection;
• Conduct Assessments of health facility IPC preparedness using scorecard and develop action plans;
• Strengthen case investigation, including active case finding in health care facilities;
• Alert and inform all existing care services in the region;
• Support laboratory capacities to process specimens from suspected case in a timely manner;
• Strengthen public information and awareness of compliance with prevention and protection measures, including reporting to health services as soon as the first symptoms appear;
• Promote safe and dignified burial of suspected, probable and confirmed deaths;
• Initiate a ring vaccination strategy and vaccinate frontline workers.
• Mobilize response resources;
• Strengthen the capacity of the N'Z?r?kor? Ebola Treatment Centre
• Set up response commissions with the authorities and partners, including WHO, the Red Cross, Deutsche Gesellschaft f?r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), UNICEF, and UNFPA;

WHO support for the Guinean authorities

• WHO will help supply vaccines, therapeutics, reagents and personal protective equipment.
• WHO will be part of the partner coordination.
• WHO will be involved in all pillars of the response, and will help to strengthen response in each area
• WHO will recruit and deploy human resources to N'Z?r?kor? region to support investigation, contact tracing and vaccination.
• In coordination with partners, WHO will work to reinforce risk communication and community engagement by deploying communicators and socio anthropologists.
• WHO will provide logistic support, hygiene kits and IPC materials, where they are needed.

WHO risk assessment


WHO considers the risk of spread in the country as very high given the unknown size, duration and origin of the outbreak; potentially large number of contacts; potential spread to other parts of Guinea and neighboring countries; limited response capacity currently on the ground; and unknown virus strain. In addition, there are ongoing challenges for the public health system due to the COVID-19 epidemic, and recent yellow fever and measles outbreaks.

WHO assess the risk for the region as high. The Nz?r?kor? Region of Guinea shares borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia, where EVD outbreaks occurred previously. Despite some movement restrictions across official border-crossings due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a significant proportion of cross-border movement continues to take place and poses a risk of EVD spread. It is therefore essential that neighboring countries assess their preparedness capacities and implement readiness/response measures.

The countries in the region should:

• Conduct preparedness and readiness assessment
• Develop preparedness and readiness plan
• Map out immediate activities
• Activate IMS for preparedness

WHO advice


WHO advises the following risk reduction measures as an effective way to reduce EVD transmission:

• Continue to train and retrain the health workforce for early detection, isolation and treatment of EVD cases as well as on safe and dignified burials and IPC measures;
• Prepare for vaccination of health workers and implement ring vaccination around confirmed cases;
• Engage with communities in responding to the outbreak and to reinforce safe and dignified burial practices;
• Ensure availability of personal protective equipment and IPC supplies to manage ill patients and for decontamination in health care and community settings;
• Ensure availability of biomedical equipment, essential medicines and therapeutics to care for patients with EVD;
• Ensure implementation of a referral system: screening and triage at health centres with referral pathways to designated Ebola treatment centres;
• Conduct health facility assessments (“Scorecard”) of adherence to IPC measures
• Reduce the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission (through contact with fruit bats, monkeys and apes) through community education on how to: Handle wildlife with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing; and cook animal products (blood and meat) thoroughly before consumption;
• Reduce the risk of human-to-human transmission from direct or close contact with people with EVD symptoms, particularly with their bodily fluids: Wear appropriate personal protective equipment when taking care of ill patients; and wash hands regularly including after any contact with patients or when coming into contact with any body fluids.
• To reduce the risk of possible transmission from virus persistence in some body fluids of survivors, WHO recommends providing medical care, psychological support and biological testing (until two consecutive negative tests) through an EVD survivors care programme.

Based on the current risk assessment and prior evidence on Ebola outbreaks, WHO advises against any restriction of travel and trade to Guinea.

For more information, please see:

• Resources and information on Ebola virus disease
• Resources and information on Ebola survivors
• Optimized Supportive Care for Ebola Virus Disease: Clinical management standard operation procedureshttps://www.who.int/csr/don/17-february-2021-ebola-gin/en/

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"The Ebolavirus species is not yet determined. Additional laboratory analyses are on-going to ascertain virus species."

I find it interesting that they don't have the species yet and am curious as to what their challenges are.

Also, I find it concerning that the index case was a nurse - it is much more likely that a nurse would have caught it from a patient than from contact with wildlife and we are a month behind in identifying that patient at this point.