Ebola Situation Report - 20 May 2015
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... SIERRA LEONE
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Sierra Leone | Confirmed | 8605 | 19 | 3541 |
Probable | 287 | * | 208 | |
Suspected | 3740 | * | 158 | |
Total | 12 632 | 19 | 3907 |
- Key performance indicators for the EVD response in Sierra Leone are shown in table 6.
- A total of 8 confirmed cases were reported in the week to 17 May, compared with 2 the previous week (figure 5), ending a sequence of 3 consecutive falls in weekly case incidence.
- Three districts reported confirmed cases in the week to 17 May, compared with a single district the previous week (figure 3, figure 6). Of 14 districts in Sierra Leone that have ever reported a confirmed case since the beginning of the outbreak, 9 have not reported a confirmed case for over 6 weeks (figure 6).
- Half of the cases reported from Sierra Leone occurred in three neighbourhoods in the north of the capital, Freetown (table 3, figure 2). Of these, three have a proven epidemiological link to a previous case. The remaining case, reported from Freetown, was identified after post-mortem testing of a community death. The source of infection is unknown, but the case was found in the Moa Wharf area.
- The district of Port Loko, just to the north of Freetown, reported cases for the first time in over 3 weeks. All 3 cases were reported from the Chiefdom of Kaffu Bullom, and all were registered contacts with an epidemiological link to a previous case reported from the district of Kambia.
- The district of Kambia, which borders the Guinean prefecture of Forecariah to the north and Port Loko to the south, and which reported zero cases in the week to 10 May, reported a case from the Chiefdom of Magbema in the week to 17 May. The case was a registered contact of a previous case.
- A total of 599 contacts are currently being monitored daily in 3 districts: 47 in Port Loko, 82 in Kambia, and 470 in Western Area Urban, which includes Freetown.
- There were 415 credible alerts of sick people with possible Ebola-like symptoms received in the week to 10 May (the most recent week for which data are available). Of these 415, 404 (97%) were responded to within 24 hours. Over 90% of alerts were reported by the public.
- After 5 consecutive weeks without reporting a health worker infection, a Sierra Leone national working at an Ebola treatment centre near Freetown was laboratory confirmed as EVD positive on 14 May. The national was working at the same facility as the recent Italian health worker case. Investigations are ongoing into how both health workers came to be exposed to EVD.
- Laboratory indicators continue to reflect a heightened degree of vigilance, with 1654 new samples tested in the week to 17 May. Less than 1% of samples tested positive.
- Locations of the 12 operational Ebola treatment centres (ETCs) in Sierra Leone are shown in figure 7. An ETC in Kenema closed in the week to 17 May.
- Locations of the 11 operational laboratories in Sierra Leone are shown in figure 8.
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