Ebola Situation Report - 29 April 2015
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SUMMARY
A total of 33 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) was reported in the week to 26 April. Two areas, Forecariah in Guinea and Kambia in Sierra Leone, accounted for 25 (76%) of all confirmed cases reported. Improved community engagement in these areas is required to ensure that all remaining chains of transmission can be tracked and ultimately brought to an end.
Guinea reported 22 confirmed cases in the week to 26 April, compared with 19 cases the previous week. Sierra Leone reported 11 confirmed cases, compared with 12 cases the previous week. Liberia reported no confirmed cases for the fifth consecutive week. Of 55 districts in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone that have reported at least one confirmed case of EVD since the start of the outbreak, 39 have not reported a case for over 6 weeks.
A total of 5 Guinean prefectures reported at least one confirmed case in the week to 26 April. No cases were reported from the capital, Conakry. The vast majority of cases (17 of 22: 77% were reported from the western prefecture of Forecariah, which borders the Sierra Leonean district of Kambia.
Three districts in Sierra Leone reported new confirmed cases in the week to 26 April, compared with 4 districts the previous week. In addition to 8 confirmed cases reported from Kambia, 1 case was reported from Western Area Urban, which includes the capital Freetown, and 2 new cases were reported from Western Area Rural.
In Sierra Leone, a total of 4 confirmed cases were identified in the community after post-mortem testing (all from Kambia) in the week to 26 April, compared with 3 the previous week. Additionally, half (50%) of new cases reported in the week to 19 April (the most recent period for which data are available) arose among known contacts of previous cases. Laboratory indicators reflect a heightened degree of vigilance, with 1406 new samples tested in the week to 26 April. Less than 1% of samples tested positive for EVD.
Response indicators for Guinea present a similarly mixed picture. A total of 8 confirmed EVD cases in the week to 26 April were identified after post-mortem testing of deaths identified in the community, compared with 6 the previous week. A total of 66 unsafe burials were reported in the week to 26 April. The percentage of confirmed cases that arose among registered contacts decreased to 27% (6 of 22) in the week to 26 April, from 53% the previous week. However, laboratory indicators continue to improve with a seventh consecutive weekly rise in the number of laboratory samples tested to 585.
In both Guinea and Sierra Leone, the fact that cases continue to be identified after post-mortem testing, together with the fact that around half of all cases arise in people not identified as contacts of previous cases, suggest that surveillance and community engagement still require improvement in some areas. A case-finding and community-awareness campaign took place in the Guinean prefecture of Coyah from 24 to 27 April, with over 57 000 households visited over 4 days. 44 alerts were reported over the 4-day operation: an increase of 91% compared with the previous week. None of the alerts resulted in confirmed cases, although 10 laboratory samples are still pending. Similar initiatives are planned for the prefectures of Boffa, Conakry, Dubreka, and Kindia.
The last confirmed case in Liberia died on 27 March and was buried on 28 March. Heightened vigilance is being maintained throughout the country. In the 4 days to 23 April, 194 new laboratory samples were tested for EVD, with no confirmed cases. On 9 May, 42 days will have elapsed since the burial of the last confirmed case.
For the second consecutive week, no new health worker infections were reported in the week to 26 April.
COUNTRIES WITH WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE TRANSMISSION
There have been a total of 26 277 reported confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of EVD in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone (figure 1, table 1), with 10 884 reported deaths (outcomes for many cases are unknown). A total of 22 new confirmed cases were reported in Guinea, 0 in Liberia, and 11 in Sierra Leone in the 7 days to 26 April.
The total number of confirmed and probable cases is similar in males and females (table 2). Compared with children (people aged 14 years and under), people aged 15 to 44 are approximately three times more likely to be affected. People aged 45 and over are three to five times more likely to be affected than children.
A total of 865 confirmed health worker infections have been reported in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone; there have been 504 reported deaths (table 5).
... Table 1: Confirmed, probable, and suspected EVD cases in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
Data are based on official information reported by ministries of health. These numbers are subject to change due to ongoing reclassification, retrospective investigation and availability of laboratory results. *Not reported due to the high proportion of probable and suspected cases that are reclassified. Data not available. **Data missing for 24 to 26 April. ...
http://apps.who.int/ebola/current-si...-29-april-2015
...
SUMMARY
A total of 33 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) was reported in the week to 26 April. Two areas, Forecariah in Guinea and Kambia in Sierra Leone, accounted for 25 (76%) of all confirmed cases reported. Improved community engagement in these areas is required to ensure that all remaining chains of transmission can be tracked and ultimately brought to an end.
Guinea reported 22 confirmed cases in the week to 26 April, compared with 19 cases the previous week. Sierra Leone reported 11 confirmed cases, compared with 12 cases the previous week. Liberia reported no confirmed cases for the fifth consecutive week. Of 55 districts in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone that have reported at least one confirmed case of EVD since the start of the outbreak, 39 have not reported a case for over 6 weeks.
A total of 5 Guinean prefectures reported at least one confirmed case in the week to 26 April. No cases were reported from the capital, Conakry. The vast majority of cases (17 of 22: 77% were reported from the western prefecture of Forecariah, which borders the Sierra Leonean district of Kambia.
Three districts in Sierra Leone reported new confirmed cases in the week to 26 April, compared with 4 districts the previous week. In addition to 8 confirmed cases reported from Kambia, 1 case was reported from Western Area Urban, which includes the capital Freetown, and 2 new cases were reported from Western Area Rural.
In Sierra Leone, a total of 4 confirmed cases were identified in the community after post-mortem testing (all from Kambia) in the week to 26 April, compared with 3 the previous week. Additionally, half (50%) of new cases reported in the week to 19 April (the most recent period for which data are available) arose among known contacts of previous cases. Laboratory indicators reflect a heightened degree of vigilance, with 1406 new samples tested in the week to 26 April. Less than 1% of samples tested positive for EVD.
Response indicators for Guinea present a similarly mixed picture. A total of 8 confirmed EVD cases in the week to 26 April were identified after post-mortem testing of deaths identified in the community, compared with 6 the previous week. A total of 66 unsafe burials were reported in the week to 26 April. The percentage of confirmed cases that arose among registered contacts decreased to 27% (6 of 22) in the week to 26 April, from 53% the previous week. However, laboratory indicators continue to improve with a seventh consecutive weekly rise in the number of laboratory samples tested to 585.
In both Guinea and Sierra Leone, the fact that cases continue to be identified after post-mortem testing, together with the fact that around half of all cases arise in people not identified as contacts of previous cases, suggest that surveillance and community engagement still require improvement in some areas. A case-finding and community-awareness campaign took place in the Guinean prefecture of Coyah from 24 to 27 April, with over 57 000 households visited over 4 days. 44 alerts were reported over the 4-day operation: an increase of 91% compared with the previous week. None of the alerts resulted in confirmed cases, although 10 laboratory samples are still pending. Similar initiatives are planned for the prefectures of Boffa, Conakry, Dubreka, and Kindia.
The last confirmed case in Liberia died on 27 March and was buried on 28 March. Heightened vigilance is being maintained throughout the country. In the 4 days to 23 April, 194 new laboratory samples were tested for EVD, with no confirmed cases. On 9 May, 42 days will have elapsed since the burial of the last confirmed case.
For the second consecutive week, no new health worker infections were reported in the week to 26 April.
COUNTRIES WITH WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE TRANSMISSION
There have been a total of 26 277 reported confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of EVD in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone (figure 1, table 1), with 10 884 reported deaths (outcomes for many cases are unknown). A total of 22 new confirmed cases were reported in Guinea, 0 in Liberia, and 11 in Sierra Leone in the 7 days to 26 April.
The total number of confirmed and probable cases is similar in males and females (table 2). Compared with children (people aged 14 years and under), people aged 15 to 44 are approximately three times more likely to be affected. People aged 45 and over are three to five times more likely to be affected than children.
A total of 865 confirmed health worker infections have been reported in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone; there have been 504 reported deaths (table 5).
... Table 1: Confirmed, probable, and suspected EVD cases in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
Guinea | Confirmed | 3158 | 69 | 1962 |
Probable | 415 | * | 415 | |
Suspected | 11 | * | | |
Total | 3584 | 69 | 2377 | |
Liberia** | Confirmed | 3151 | 0 | |
Probable | 1879 | * | | |
Suspected | 5292 | * | | |
Total | 10 322 | 0 | 4608 | |
Sierra Leone | Confirmed | 8586 | 32 | 3533 |
Probable | 287 | * | 208 | |
Suspected | 3498 | * | 158 | |
Total | 12 371 | 32 | 3899 | |
Total | Confirmed | 14 895 | 101 | |
Probable | 2581 | * | | |
Suspected | 8801 | * | | |
Total | 26 277 | 101 | 10 884 |
Data are based on official information reported by ministries of health. These numbers are subject to change due to ongoing reclassification, retrospective investigation and availability of laboratory results. *Not reported due to the high proportion of probable and suspected cases that are reclassified. Data not available. **Data missing for 24 to 26 April. ...
http://apps.who.int/ebola/current-si...-29-april-2015
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