ALL ABOUT EBOLA.
As Ebola outbreak worsens, doctors battle with beliefs and shortages. 26/7/2014
There
is no cure for the Ebola virus, but education and careful hygiene can
stop it from spreading. Unfortunately, in parts of West Africa where
dozens have died from Ebola in the last couple weeks, many people are
not convinced there
is a real danger, according to Simon Tokpohozin, who works for the National Office of SOS Children’s Villages Liberia.SOS Children’s Villages programmes continue efforts to raise awareness and battle the spread of the disease in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. So far, there have been no reported cases in SOS facilities.“Many people still believe the outbreak is not real, so they are not observing the minimum preventive measures that have been advised. People are hiding their sick relatives in their homes or taking them to the traditional doctors (‘fetishes-men’) or to pastors. As a consequence, not only the sick persons are dying, but also the traditional doctors, the pastors and those helpers who assist them in their homes and prayer-centres.” Convincing people Ebola is a real danger is not the only problem. Liberia also lacks protective gear needed to safely treat those infected without great risk of contagion to medical staff. Mr Tokpohozin said many health centres and hospitals had closed because they lack adequate protective gear, or the workers themselves refuse to report to work without protection. SOS Ebola outbreak: Is it time to test experimental vaccines? 25/7/2014
"This is clearly an
outbreak across international borders and it has not been handled
properly," explains David Heymann, professor of infectious disease
epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
(LSHTM), who was on-site at the first human Ebola outbreak in 1976.He
says the 24 known outbreaks of Ebola to date have shown that it should
be easily controlled. "It's not rocket science to control these
outbreaks but instead basic epidemiology: infection control, hygiene
practices, contact-tracing and safe burial practices," says Heymann of
the virus, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids.
"Ebola is its own worst enemy, it's too lethal and cannot sustain its
own spread."But
whilst it should be easily contained, this time something has gone
wrong. The Guinean and Liberian capital cities were reached exposing
many more to the virus and making those infected and their contacts
harder to trace and isolate. The outbreak has been described as "out of
control" by Doctors without Borders -- so why is there no other
approach? CNN
Nigeria Fears as Man Falls Ill With Ebola-Like Symptoms. 25/7/2014
A Liberian man has
been hospitalised in Lagos with Ebola-like symptoms, but it is not yet
clear if he is infected with the killer virus, Nigerian officials
said. The 40-year-old Monrovia resident arrived in Nigeria's mega-city
on Sunday and was admitted to hospital on Tuesday suffering from severe
vomiting and diarrhoea, said Yewande Adesina, the special advisor on
health for the Lagos state government. The patient was "detained for
possible Ebola infection while blood samples were sent to the Virology
Reference Laboratory in Lagos as well as to the World Health
Organisation (WHO) in Dakar", he said."Results are still pending.
Presently the patient's condition is stable and he is in recovery",
Adesina told journalists. "The diarrhoea and vomiting have stopped. He
is still under isolation." NDTV
First Ebola victim in Sierra Leone capital on the run. 25/7/2014
Sierra Leone
officials appealed for help on Friday to trace the first known resident
in the capital with Ebola whose family forcibly removed her from a
Freetown hospital after testing positive for the deadly disease.Radio
stations in Freetown, a city of around 1 million inhabitants, broadcast
the appeal on Friday to locate a woman who tested positive for the
disease that has killed 660 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra
Leone since an outbreak was first identified in February. Reuters
Sierra Leone's top Ebola doctor gets virus. 24/7/2014
The head doctor
fighting the deadly tropical virus Ebola in Sierra Leone has himself
caught the disease, the president's office said, as the West African
outbreak claimed more victims. Sheik Umar Khan, a Sierra Leonean
virologist credited with treating more than 100 Ebola victims, has been
receiving treatment at a ward run by medical charity Doctors Without
Borders, a source at the ward told the Reuters news agency on
Wednesday. The 39-year-old, hailed as a "national hero" by the health
ministry, was leading the fight to control an outbreak that has killed
206 people in the West African country. aljazeera
Liberia: Ebola Vengeance - Man Sets Liberia's Health Ministry Ablaze. 24/7/2014
What seemed an
unprecedented form of protest against the Liberian government's handling
of the deadly Ebola virus erupted on Wednesday when a Liberian man
identified as Edward Wellington Dellay set the conference room at the
ministry of health and social welfare in Congo Town on fire in the early
afternoon. allAfrica
Worst Ebola outbreak ever gets worse: top Ebola doctor now infected. 24/7/2014
The deadliest Ebola
outbreak in recorded history is happening right now. And Reuters reports
that the head Ebola doctor in Sierra Leone has contracted Ebola and is
receiving medical care.This
outbreak concerns the most deadly of the five Ebola viruses, Zaire
ebolavirus, which has killed 79 percent of the people it has infected.
(The virus is called that after the formerly named Zaire, which, along
with Sudan, experienced the first Ebola outbreak back in 1976.)There
are also social and political factors contributing to the current
disaster. Because this is the first major Ebola outbreak in West Africa,
many of the region's health workers didn't have experience or training
in how to protect themselves or care for patients with this
disease. What's more, an NPR story suggests that people in these
countries tend to travel more than those in Central Africa (where
outbreaks usually occur). That may have helped the virus disperse
geographically, and it made it difficult to track down people who might
be infected. Vox
Guiné-Bissau Prepares for Possible Ebola outbreak. 23/7/2014
Although still have
not registered cases of symptom of Ebola in Guinea-Bissau, the
authorities, in collaboration with the NGO Doctors Without Borders, an
action promoted training for caregivers. The course, which took place
between 11 and 12 July, was aimed at newly qualified technicians and
health centers in eastern and southern parts of the country, near the
border with Guinea-Conakry, and aims to prevent the outbreak of Ebola
that neighbor plaguing the country since last April. Health workers,
being more exposed to the Ebola virus, were trained in order to deal
with the disease and the precautions to avoid being infected. flutrackers
Liberia: Gov't Alarms Over Fake Ebola Vaccine. 17/7/2014
A senior health
official here has alarmed of the issuance of "false Ebola vaccine" by
imposters, acting as health workers in Monrovia and surroundings. Deputy
Health Minister for Research Planning, Ms. Yah Zolia told UNMIL radio
Wednesday, July 16 that the Health Ministry is receiving reports of
imposters offering Ebola vaccine in some communities. allAfrica
Liberia: Running From Ebola - in Liberia, Medics Reject Suspected Cases. 17/7/2014
Liberia faces the
hectic task of battling the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus which has
claimed 94 lives as of July 13, with Montserrado County accounting for
42 deaths, Lofa 49; Margibi 2, and Bomi 1, according to the Ministry of
health and Social Welfare in a report entitled "Liberia Ebola SitRep no.
60", as the virus continues to spread, causing panic across the
country. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has released numbers
for hotlines informing the public to call those numbers in case anyone
is sick and showing symptoms of the virus warning family members to stay
away from touching such people showing symptoms of the virus. Ebola
Response vehicles are roaming the streets of Monrovia but onboard the
vehicles are not health workers wearing protective gears in readiness to
receive suspected patients, but officials wearing suits. Some of the
vehicles, FrontPageAfrica has learned are being used as transport for
employees instead of monitoring hospitals for suspected cases. allAfrica
Ebola Survivor Shunned as a Zombie Joins Fight Against Disease.17/7/2014
Widespread
misconceptions, denial and hostility to medical workers are slowing
efforts to stop the virus from spreading, the United Nations Children’s
Fund said this month. Some people hide when they fall sick, while others
believe the disease isn’t real or that white researchers have
introduced it to experiment on Africans. Those who survive are often
treated as outcasts. Bloomberg
West Africa Ebola outbreak spreading out of control – WHO. 16/7/2014
“It’s probably going
to be several months before we are able to get a grip on this epidemic
and this outbreak and reduce the numbers of cases, so there will be ups
and downs, that’s a normal part of this outbreak,” added Epstein. Sierra
Leone recorded the highest number of deaths followed by Liberia and
Guinea. Experts believe patients are being hidden. Friends and relatives
believe hospitalisation is a death sentence. euronews
Ebola 2014: Death toll, new cases on the rise in Africa. 16/7/2014
High numbers of new
Ebola cases and deaths in Africa are prompting increased efforts to
contain the deadly outbreak. As of July 12, the cumulative number of
Ebola virus cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone was at 964,
including 603 deaths. The death toll has almost doubled in a month's
time; reported deaths in the three countries in mid-June was 350. CNN
Hemorrhagic Fevers in Africa: Narratives, Politics and Pathways of Disease and Response.
Zoonoses from Panic to Planning. 17/7/2014
Sierra Leone samples: Ebola evidence in West Africa in 2006. 17/7/2014
Analysis of clinical
samples from suspected Lassa fever cases in Sierra Leone showed that
about two-thirds of the patients had been exposed to other emerging
diseases, and nearly nine percent tested positive for Ebola virus. The
study, published in this month's edition of Emerging Infectious
Diseases, demonstrates that Ebola virus has been circulating in the
region since at least 2006—well before the current outbreak. EurekAlert
Ebola Failures, flashpoints and focus 16/7/2014
An important lesson
from early outbreaks in Central Africa was to include anthropologists in
the response teams so that local knowledge could be used to strengthen
control measures and minimise fear. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) have
been using anthropologists as part of their team in this current episode
too, but the rumours are proving hard to beat. IDS Director and STEPS
Centre former Director Professor Melissa Leach, has lived and worked in
the region. MSF recently asked for her anthropological insights, so we
at IDS and the STEPS Centre have been thinking about how to put the
disease and responses to it in context. blog
The Human Side of Ebola. 11/7/2014
Two Aid staff shared
their on-the-ground experiences from Sierra Leone. “I Never Thought I
Would Have to Take a Call Like This” Every Monday since the Ebola virus
appeared in Sierra Leone, my weekly routine is to check my email for the
latest Ebola case numbers and confer with field staff for updates on
the ground. Every Monday, I hope the answer will be the same: no
confirmed cases in Bo. So far we have been lucky here. We have managed
to stay free of the disease, which has spread rapidly through
neighboring districts. But before I could even open my computer this
Monday morning, I received a text message. It held the news I hoped I
would never get: “Please call asap, I have an Ebola update for you that
needs urgent attention.” The message was from our Ebola focal person on
the ground in Bo. CNN
Chopping Down African Forests Increases Human Exposure to Ebola.9/7/2014
Habitat loss brings
humans and animals into closer contact, increases the spread of disease.
Ebola is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be passed between
animals and people. As people cut down the forest or push further into
the forest for mining and other work, it brings humans and animals into
closer contact, say West and McDonnell. More overlap means more chances
for viruses to jump from host to host and increased potential for an
outbreak to spark. smithsonian
Struggling to Contain the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa. 8/7/2014
MSF’s Dr. Hilde de
Clerck and MSF epidemiologist Dr. Michel Van Herp both have extensive
experience in containing hemorrhagic fever outbreaks. They have helped
respond to six Ebola outbreaks, notably in Democratic Republic of Congo,
Uganda, and, most recently, Guinea. Here, they discuss the current
outbreak and the challenges facing MSF teams as they fight to contain
the spread of the disease. msf
Sierra Leone fails to detect Ebola cases. 8/7/2014
Many cases of Ebola
in Sierra Leona may be going undetected, grassroots doctors warned in
The Lancet as they highlighted the impoverished country’s problems in
combatting the virus. mobile nation
Ebola outbreak not right for testing experimental vaccines, drugs: experts. 8/7/2014
The largest Ebola
outbreak in history is defying the containment efforts of affected
countries and international response teams, leading to calls from some
quarters to use experimental drugs or vaccines to try to stop the deadly
virus. Vancouver
UN: 50 new Ebola cases in 2 African nations. 8/7/2014
A epidemia de Ebola continua a progredir na África Ocidental. J.Oliveira
The U.N. health
agency says there have been 50 new Ebola cases in Sierra Leone and
Liberia since last week. The World Health Organization says 34 new cases
were reported by Sierra Leone and 16 by Liberia since July 3.WHO
officials said in a statement Tuesday the outbreak in those two
countries and Guinea shows "a mixed picture" because of a reduction in
the number of new cases in Guinea, where no new cases have been reported
during the past week. theindependent
Ebola at the center of West Africa Political Agenda: CEDEAO Meeting will be held again in Accra this Friday. Bamako.com
We Are Making Ebola Outbreaks Worse by Cutting Down Forests. 8/7/2014
WHO is now focusing
on preparing for the disease's inevitable spread to neighboring
countries, not a small ask in poor countries with poor health care
systems. "We want other countries in West Africa to be ready—bordering
countries, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Guinea Bissau—to prepare
themselves in case people affected with the disease may be also
traveling," WHO's Dr. Pierre Formenty told a recent briefing in Geneva. motherjones
Outbreak is still spreading. 8/7/2014
Dr. Pierre Formenty
(WHO): "There was no decline. In fact is because we are not able to
capture all the cases that we were under the impression there was a
decline". "The problem is that there are families that refuse to give
information to health workers. They hid their sick and try to treat them
with tradiditional medicine" ArabNews
Download the Accra Ebola Agreement. 7/7/2014
Resumo
em Inglês da Reunião de Accra que juntou a WHO, os Governos de 11
países da Africa Ocidental e diversos parceiros na luta contra o Ébola.
J.Oliveira
WHO to set up Ebola control center in Guinea. 4/7/2014
Uma
das principais conclusões da Reunião de Accra é a abertura de um centro
de Control do Ebola na Guiné Conakry.O grande desafio é garantir que as
medidas anunciadas sao implementadas em tempo útil, antes do
alstramento da Epidemia a outros países. J.Oliveira
The World Health
Organization (WHO) will establish a center for control of Ebola epidemic
in Guinea soon, the organization's Regional Director for Africa Dr.
Luis Gomes Sambo disclosed here Thursday. "We are expecting to set up
the structure within the next few days. We are expecting support from
the government of Guinea and from other governments in that regard," he
said in his closing remarks at the end of the meeting. Xinhuanet
West Africa states adopt new Ebola strategy. 4/7/2014
Os
países da Africa Ocidental definiram uma nova estratégia parta combater
o Ébola. As medidas que cosntam no comunicado final parecem-nos um
pouco generalistas. Acreditamos que um trabalho mais profundo e eficaz
terá sido realizado durante os dois dias de reunião. É muito importante
existir consciencia que os factores que determinam a gigantesca
ineficácia de muitos dos países envolvidos em controlar préviamente
outros surtos de doencas infecciosas (Cólera, HIV, Malária) permanecem
no terreno e serão extremamente dificeis de solucionar em tempo útil. J.Oliveira
West African
countries and international health organisations adopted a fresh
strategy to fight the world's deadliest Ebola epidemic, which has killed
hundreds of people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. At a two-day
meeting in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, officials committed to better
surveillance to detect cases of the virus, enhance cross-border
collaboration, better engagement with local communities and closer
cooperation with the United Nations, World Health Organisation (WHO) and
other partners. Al Jazeera
Ebola epidemic in West Africa ‘likely to last months,’ U.N. says. 4/7/2014
The United Nations
health agency said on Thursday it expects the worst Ebola outbreak in
history to continue its deadly rampage through West Africa for at least
“several months. JapanTimes
A Race Against Time: West Africa Fears Further Outbreaks of Ebola. 3/7/2014
Isata Sanaoh, one
refugee was quoted by the German News channel, RTL as saying: “I ran
away from home because of Ebola. A lot of people have died there,
including many in my family.” Yet, many refugees unwittingly carry the
virus to other parts of the country and controlling the spread of the
disease is not in sight. The World Health Organization has called for
more doctors to come help prevent the spread. But the lack of doctors is
not the only issue. People from West Africa tend to distrust
foreigners. Most of them want to take care of themselves at home, which
exacerbates the problem because family members or friends become
infected from caring for the sick. For the residents of the affected
regions, the ebola virus is not just a disease, but an evil curse.
People are convinced that Western medicine is powerless. So, the race
against time to save lives is a continuous back and forth between
clarification of facts and focusing on stopping the spread of the
disease. moroccoworldnews
Ebola outbreak highlights lack of medications. 3/7/2014
"Some of the
conditions that helped spread Ebola in earlier outbreaks ... appear to
be at play here," he said, including poor infection control in
hospitals, mistrust of the authorities, and the failure of public health
and government officials to get people to change their behavior. "As
long as sick individuals don't come forward to be isolated and treated,
it will be difficult to stamp out the outbreak," he said. Piot made a
similar point, noting that healthcare workers -- using poor equipment
and inadequate precautions -- are often early victims in Ebola
outbreaks. "This is an epidemic of dysfunctional health systems," he
said. medpagetoday
Ebola Families Urged to Avoid Traditional Mourning Practices. 3/7/201As Ebola virus spreads in West Africa, some blame health workers. 3/7/2014
In a corner of West
Africa, where the disease took hold in recent months, traditional
beliefs and superstitions have complicated efforts to prevent the
illness. Some communities blame the disease's emergence on those who
have gone there to help — medical staff in alien-looking full-body
protection suits and masks. Others do not believe the disease exists at
all, but blame curses or witchery when a loved one falls ill. LA Times
Why Don't West Africans Believe Ebola Is Real? 3/7/2014
When news of the
Ebola outbreak in Guinea first reached Liberia in March, a wave of
confusion and anxiety swept through the small coastal nation. Residents
struggled to understand what caused the mysterious illness and how it
arrived in their country, while nervous expatriate aid workers began
booking flights home and opting to stay indoors on weekends. After
seeing sales decline, Lebanese-owned supermarkets posted signs
reassuring customers that the virus could not be passed via paper money,
and locals half-jokingly switched from their customary finger-snap
handshake to the "Ebola handshake" — an elbow-to-elbow bump. Vice News
Fear and ignorance as ebola 'out of control' in parts of west Africa. 3/7/2014
When ebola first
struck Pujeh, a village deep in Sierra Leone’s forested interior region,
residents did what they always do when a mysterious illness brings
death: they consulted the traditional healer. But the elderly herbalist
soon caught one of the world’s most contagious diseases, and then became
a source for spreading it as visitors streamed in. theguardian
Ebola virus: Can nations stop deadliest ever outbreak from spreading? 3/7/2014.
African ministers and
health experts are meeting in Ghana with one thing on their minds: how
to stop the biggest ever outbreak of the Ebola virus from extending its
deadly reach still further. The World Health Organization has warned
that "drastic action" is needed to halt the killer in its tracks. It
reports there have been 759 cases, including 467 deaths, in Guinea,
Sierra Leone and Liberia as of June 30. The outbreak began in
March. This makes it the "largest in terms of the number of cases and
deaths as well as geographical spread," said WHO. Not only is it
uncontained, but this strain of the Ebola virus can kill up to 90% of
those infected. CNN
Deadliest ever outbreak of Ebola virus: What you need to know. 3/7/2014
It began with a just
a handful of cases in Guinea in March. But it spread quickly to two
other countries and is now the deadliest outbreak of Ebola virus on
record. At least 759 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia have
been infected by Ebola since its symptoms were first observed four
months ago, according to the World Health Organization. 467 of them have
died. That's a 61.5 percent mortality rate. The WHO says "drastic
action is needed" to contain the virus, which has spread from rural
areas to cities in West Africa. It has dispatched teams of experts to
the region and is holding talks this week with the health ministers from
11 countries about what to do next. CNN
Ebola’s Deadly Spread in Africa Driven by Public Health Failures, Cultural Beliefs. 2/7/2014
Given that
surveillance and response measures have held this terrifying disease in
check for the past decade, why has the situation gotten so far out of
hand this time? National Geographic
Cholera (?) outbreak in the south of Guinea-Bissau. 2/7/2014
Concerning facts:
1. Many symptoms are similar between this two viral infectious diseases, Cholera and Ebola 2. Geographical proximity with the latest outbreak in Conakry (Boffa region) 3. Is the Guinean Health System already prepared to efficiently distinguish the two diseases? J.Oliveira OMS tenta parar surto de Ébola em África. 2/7/2014
WHO International meeting to stop Ebola in Africa. J.Oliveira
É o pior surto mortal
da febre hemorrágica de Ébola (FHE) alguma vez visto. Por isso, a OMS
marcou uma reunião de emergência, em Acra, Gana, com representantes dos
onze países mais afetados. Só este ano já morreram, vítima de Ébola,
mais de 400 pessoas. O epicentro da epidemia situa-se nos arredores da
cidade de Gueckedou, na República da Guiné, mas o número de mortos tem
vindo a aumentar em países como a Libéria e a Serra Leoa. Os ministros
da Saúde destes três países irão juntar-se à Costa do Marfim, Mali,
Guiné-Bissau, Senegal, Uganda, República Democrática do Congo, Gâmbia e
ao Gana, na reunião onde se delinearão estratégias de contingência. sapo
Cruz Vermelha suspende operação contra ebola no sul de Guiné após ameaças. 2/7/2014
Red Cross Ebola team threathen in the south of Conakry. J.Oliveira
A Cruz Vermelha em
Guiné disse nesta quarta-feira que foi forçada a suspender operações
contra casos de ebola no sudeste do país após seus funcionários terem
sido ameaçados por um grupo de homens armados com facas. Globo
Liberia: Ebola Kills Doctor At Redemption Hospital. 2/7/2014
The Head Doctor had
been quarantined at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Sinkor,
Monrovia where he was being monitored up to his demise. The surgeon
reportedly died after treating a health worker, who died of Ebola at
Redemption. A female health worker on duty died at the Redemption
Hospital recently after she supervised an Ebola patient admitted at the
hospital.The sudden death of Madam Esther Kesselee led health
authorities here to shut down the Redemption Hospital and transferred
all patients to other government hospitals in the capital. allAfrica
It is an isolating despair: Dr William Fischer speaks of horror in Guinea as Ebola outbreak spreads. 2/7/2014
WHAT began as a trip
to Geneva to analyse technical documents landed US doctor William
Fischer in a cement building in the middle of west Africa — where he
witnessed the brutal reality of a rampant Ebola epidemic. “I almost
didn’t get on the plane because of the fear, because of what we see in
movies and in books,” Dr Fischer told News Corp Australia. news.au
Surto de Ebola já matou 467 pessoas. 2/7/2014Sierra Leone News: Airtel staff give away day’s salary to fight Ebola. 2/7/2014
Staff of
Airtel-Sierra Leone have out of concern and philanthropy offered to
donate one-day salary to the cause of fighting the Ebola pandemic in the
country amounting to Le 70, 000, 000 (seventy million Leones). awoko
Red Cross to Participate In Special Ministrial Meeting on Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa. 1/7/2014
From 2 – 3 July, the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
will join other partners in Accra, Ghana, for a special ministerial
meeting on Ebola virus disease. The meeting was called by the World
Health Organization (WHO) in an attempt to interrupt the further spread
of the deadly disease. magzquebec
Liberia: At Redemption Hospital - Fear Grips Nurses, Patients After Ebola Outbreak. 1/7/2014.
The Independent and
Authoritative Heritage Newspaper has observed low turnout of patients at
the Redemption Hospital following the death of a nurse from Ebola at
the Hospital. The Redemption Hospital, which is situated in the Borough
of New Kru Town on the Bushrod Island, outside Monrovia, is the second
largest referral hospital in Liberia, next to the John F. Kennedy
Medical Center in Sinkor. It is being run and operated by the Government
of Liberia (GOL) on a free of charge basis. Our investigation states
that patients are no longer seeking medical care at the hospital in
their numbers as it used to be due to the outbreak of the deadly Ebola
virus that also killed one of the nurses at the hospital. allAfrica
Fear, suspicion undermine West Africa's battle against Ebola. 30/6/2014
When Mohamed Swarray
contracted the deadly Ebola disease in June, he was confined to a tented
isolation ward at Kenema in eastern Sierra Leone. But he didn't stay
there long. Suspicious of the doctors in their masks and body-length
protective suits, he slipped out and fled to the capital Freetown 300 km
(185 miles) away. There, he was nursed in a private home for a week
before being traced by officials and hurriedly returned, weak and
frightened, to the Kenema unit. Reuters
West Africa can’t manage the Ebola outbreak 30/6/2014
An alarming report
released last week by Doctors Without Borders said that West Africa’s
current Ebola outbreak is “out of control.” That should shock the
governments of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia into action. It marks a
frightening moment for a disease that has been contained numerous times
before. The outbreak, already the deadliest in history, had killed
almost 400 people as of Thursday. It began in March but then slowed,
causing the Guinean president to declare to the World Health
Organization (WHO) in April that “the situation is well in hand.” But
all was not well, and complacency led to relaxed measures and a second
surge. More than 600 cases have now been reported, with the patients
experiencing headache, fever and internal and external bleeding. The
virus kills up to 90 percent of the people it infects, but it leaps from
person to person only through contact with bodily fluids. Washington Post
Liberia: Getting Rid of Ebola Dead Bodies a Daunting Task. 30/6/2014
"We need to find a
special place to bury these corpses, if not, the bodies will keep piling
up on us. If we don't bury them, they will begin to decompose and then
that will be trouble for all of us." - A member of the burial team who
spoke to FrontPageAfrica on condition of anonymity allAfrica
Drastic action needed to stamp out killer Ebola virus 30/6/2014
Authorities in Sierra
Leone have warned that sheltering anyone infected with the Ebola virus
will be treated as a serious crime. Fear and superstition are driving
people away from infected areas and into cities increasing the chances
of a mass outbreak: “ I ran away from Ebola, a lot of people died, a lot
of my family, a nurse who helped my mother died, the men who buried her
died,” said one woman who left her home Daru to seek refuge in
Freetown. euronews
A look at how West Africa is combating Ebola. 28/6/2014
The World Health
Organization says there is an "urgent need" to coordinate the response
across the borders and is convening a meeting in Accra, Ghana on July 1
with the three countries involved as well as other nations that
experienced outbreaks in the past.Combating Ebola is a matter of
stopping its spread by educating people on how to protect themselves and
isolating the sick and dead — since corpses are still contagious — and
figuring out who the infected had contact with in order to isolate them
as well.
GUINEA Education has been the main strategy of fighting the spread and Guinea has used radio and television spots telling people how to stay safe from the disease and urging them to immediately go to hospitals if they are sick.With the help of Doctors without Borders, treatment centers have been set up in the outbreak areas and the World Health Organization has worked to boost the capacity of the labs needed to confirm the virus's presence. LIBERIA They also have forbidden possible victims to be buried without being first tested and issued a death certificate to ensure that there is proper reporting of who has been affected by the disease and who they have been in contact with. SIERRA LEONE On Wednesday, WHO announced that it was changing its methodology for reporting Ebola fatalities — just in Sierra Leone — at the government's request, reducing the death toll by 32. News Observer Ebola and a Cultural Divide 28/6/2014
The regions have
relatively porous borders, and people are travelling freely between the
countries, elevating the risk of viral transmission. More and more
people are becoming infected, and the cultural divide between healthcare
workers and certain sub-regional communities is becoming strained. LibertyVoice
Ebola outbreak now most deadly ever in West Africa. 28/6/2014
"(This Ebola
outbreak) has always been a critical emergency," said Dr. Maurice Hours,
a health adviser for UNICEF in West and Central Africa. "But now there
is a real danger that it could spread to neighboring countries, such as
the Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau. We are quite concerned." USA Today
Ebola 'threatens more West African nations' 27/6/2014
"West African nations
including Mali, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Guinea Bissau should prepare
for the arrival the deadly Ebola virus, the World Health Organisation
said". Aljazeera
WHO urges 'drastic action' on Ebola 26/06/2014
The World Health
Organization warned Thursday that dramatic steps were needed to fight
the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, calling an 11-nation meeting to
address the crisis."This is no longer a country specific outbreak but a
sub-regional crisis that requires firm action by governments and
partners," Sambo warned. Expatica
The Ebola virus is not just a threat to humans, but is also wiping out chimps and gorillas. 26/6/2014
Will a decision to end
testing on chimps at a major US medical institute hamper efforts to
develop a vaccine that could save primates from Ebola? BBC
Ebola virus: Why isn't there a cure? 25/6/2014
Ebola first appeared
more than three decades ago, but there is still no cure or specific
treatment for the disease, in part because the dangerous nature of the
virus makes it difficult to study, experts say. Since December 2013, an
ongoing outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has infected at least 567
people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, including 350 who died,
according to the World Health Organization. The outbreak appears to be
the largest in history, surpassing the 425 cases that occurred in an
Ebola outbreak in Uganda in 2000. Fox
Ebola, snakes and witchcraft: Stopping the deadly disease in its tracks in West Africa. 24/6/2014
They call him by his
surname, Konneh. His manners are gentle and his voice calm. He is a
volunteer with the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, always willing to
help. Although he lives in Kenema, he comes from Daru, one of the
villages most affected by the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Sierra
Leone. His uncle and his uncle’s wife have both died of Ebola. First,
they brought his uncle to Kenema, a two hour drive from Daru where the
treatment centre for Ebola patients is located. He died. Two days later
they brought his aunt. She also died. “His wife was a nurse. My uncle
got it from his wife,” Konneh says calmly. His cousin also died. “When
health workers start dying from Ebola, the entire health care system is
affected. Doctors and nurses are afraid to go to work or to treat
patients, which is what we are seeing in Sierra Leone at the moment,”
says Amanda McClelland, senior emergency health officer at the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
“However, with proper training and by taking adequate precautions,
health care workers can safely treat Ebola patients. And it is proven
that the sooner treatment can start, the greater the chances of
survival.” Red Cross
Ebola: Massive Deployment Needed to Fight Epidemic in West Africa 23/6/2014
Bringing the
spreading Ebola epidemic under control in West Africa will require a
massive deployment of resources by regional governments and aid
agencies, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors
Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said today, warning that
it has reached the limit of what it can do to fight the deadly outbreak.
MSF
Ebola outbreak: Sierra Leone confirms first deaths 26/5/2014
Four people have died
of Ebola in Sierra Leone, the first confirmed cases in the country
following an outbreak in Guinea, the health ministry has said. They died
in the eastern Kailahun district, which borders southern Guinea where
the outbreak started in March and has killed more than 145 people. BBC
Tackling the ebola epidemic in west Africa: why we need a holistic approach. 19/6/2014
As the death toll from ebola in west Africa continues
to rise, there is a growing awareness of the threat of diseases
transmitted from animals to people. What the outbreak confirms is that
if animal transmitted diseases such as Ebola – known as Zoonoses – are
to be tackled effectively, the response must go beyond media focus and
immediate medical action when an epidemic hits. There is a crucial need
for multidisciplinary working over the longer term to gain a holistic
understanding of the drivers of this diseases. Guardian
Ebola patient in Sierra Leone pulled from hospital by family, 27/5/2014
Relatives of an Ebola
patient in Sierra Leone took her home from a community health centre
despite protests from medical staff, risking spreading the deadly and
highly infectious disease, a senior health official said on Tuesday.CBC
Jean-Marie Le Pen suggests Ebola as solution to global population explosion. 21/5/2014
Jean-Marie Le Pen,
founder of France's far-right Front National, has suggested the deadly
virus Ebola could solve the global "population explosion" and by
extension Europe's "immigration problem". the Guardian
Saudi Arabia suspends visas over Guinea Ebola outbreak. 1/5/2014
Saudi Arabia has
announced the suspension of visas for Muslim pilgrims from Guinea and
Liberia, two countries hit by an outbreak of the deadly Ebola epidemic. the Guardian
Ebola: Facing down fear to save lives in Guinea. 22/4/2014
In Conakry, the
capital of Guinea, everyone is frightened of the Ebola virus disease. It
is the first time one of the most lethal viruses in the world has been
detected in the country and stories are surfacing of people panicking,
such as the time when passengers in a public transport vehicle abandoned
the bus, in the middle of a traffic jam, when a pregnant woman inside,
vomited. “When you deal with something you are not familiar with, such
as Ebola, you get scared. It’s a normal human reaction,” says Dr Alain
Kapete, a member of the health team deployed by IFRC to support the Red
Cross Society of Guinea. “There were some volunteers who were scared at
the beginning of the outbreak, but they braved that fear to save lives.
When our communities are at risk, our role as volunteers is to assist
them. That is our commitment,” adds Diallo. Red Cross
Guinea Ebola outbreak 'challenging' - World Health Organisation 8/4/2014
An outbreak of the
deadly Ebola virus in West Africa is "one of the most challenging" the
World Health Organisation (WHO) has ever faced, the organisation says.The WHO says it could take up to four months to subdue the outbreak. BBC
The Ebola Survivors: Reborn But Not Always Embraced 11/4/2014
They call them the
"Lazarus" cases, after the Biblical character who died but was revived
by Jesus. They are survivors of the latest outbreak of Ebola. Ebola
often grabs global headlines as the killer virus that can result in a
death rate of up to 90 percent. But in Guinea, the death rate in the
current outbreak has been about 60 percent. So there are survivors — to
the delight of the overworked doctors, health workers and, of course,
the patients who have recovered. "I feel reborn," says a vivacious young
woman who chose not to give her name because of the stigma associated
with the virus. She had tested positive for Ebola and was admitted to
the isolation unit in the treatment center run by Doctors Without
Borders, a cluster of tents located on the grounds of the main public
hospital in Conakry, the capital city. npr
Ebola virus prevention in Guinea-Bissau. 8/4/2014
A Guinea-Bissau's
customs official watches incoming foreigners from Guinea-Conakry, on the
border entrance of Buruntuma, in the Gabu area, Guinea-Bissau, on April
8, 2014. Guinea-Conakry is being ravaged by an Ebola virus epidemic,
and the Guinean-Bissau officials are concerned with a possible case
inside their borders. The Gazette
Guinea: Successes and challenges in response to Ebola outbreak. 7/4/2014
A number of patients
have been discharged from Ebola treatment centres in Guinea after
successfully beating the Ebola virus, says the international medical
organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). At the same time, MSF’s
emergency teams are facing challenges in tackling the epidemic, with
work currently suspended in one of its three Ebola treatment centres. MSF
Mob Attacks Ebola Treatment Center In Guinea, as Alarming Outbreak Spreads In West Africa. 5/4/2014
An angry crowd
attacked an Ebola treatment center in Guinea on Friday, accusing its
staff of bringing the deadly disease to the town, Medecins Sans
Frontieres said, as Mali identified its first suspected cases. Business Insider
Medical Staff Scanning For Ebola At Guinea's Airport. 5/4/2014
French medical teams
were deployed to the Republic of Guinea's international airport Saturday
to minimize the global spread of the Ebola virus, which is ravaging
parts of Africa. Teams from the Pasteur Institute and non-government
medical organizations were in place to survey boarding at Gbessia
International Airport, located in the capital of Conakry. The staff
began checking passengers for symptoms of the virus, including severe
bruising, fever, under-eye circles, throat irritation and vomiting. NBC
Ebola outbreak: Mali on alert. 4/4/2014
Mali is on alert over
the deadly Ebola virus after three suspected cases were reported near
the border with Guinea, where 86 people have died. A BBC correspondent
says there are tight controls on people entering the capital, Bamako,
from the border area. BBC
Plane from Guinea quarantined in Paris amid Ebola concerns. 4/4/2014
A flight from the
Guinean capital of Conakry was quarantined in Paris for two hours on
Friday morning, amid rising concern over the unprecedented Ebola
epidemic that has hit the West African country. france24
Why West Africa’s Ebola Outbreak Is So Scary. 2/4/2014
Make no mistake—Ebola
is a terrifying disease. Outbreaks can have fatality rates of up to 90
percent, and its symptoms are painful, disgusting, and terrifying to
people in affected areas. But the disease’s only saving grace may be
that it’s relatively hard to transmit: You can become infected with
Ebola only by coming into direct contact with the blood or bodily
secretions of someone who is infected. Slate
Morocco steps up guard. 1/4/2014
Morocco announced
extra health screening measures on Tuesday at entry points to the
country, in particular at Casablanca airport, after the outbreak of the
deadly Ebola epidemic in Guinea. News24
Guinea faces Ebola epidemic on unprecedented scale, doctors warn. 31/3/2014
Guinea faces an Ebola
epidemic on an unprecedented scale as it battles to contain confirmed
cases now scattered across several locations that are far apart, medical
charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Monday. Reuters
Mauritania takes preventive measures against ebola virus. 30/3/2014
a technical
committee, in collaboration with partners, has been put in place to
monitor developments, strengthen surveillance and ensure epidemiological
prevention at all levels by controlling travelers coming from or going
to neighboring countries by air, land or sea. Afriquejet
Senegal shuts land border with Guinea to prevent Ebola spreading. 29/3/2014
Senegal closed its
land border with Guinea on Saturday to try to prevent the spread of the
Ebola virus, which Guinean authorities say is suspected of killing 70
people in what would be the deadliest outbreak in seven years. Reuters
Ebola Spreads From Rural Guinea To Capital. 27/3/2014
A deadly outbreak of
the Ebola virus suspected of killing at least 63 people has spread from
rural Guinea to the capital Conakry, authorities said on Thursday, after
West African nations branded the virus a serious threat to regional
security. Huffington Post
Canada patient tests negative for Ebola. 25/3/2014
A man in Canada who
was suspected of having Ebola has tested negative for viral hemorrhagic
fevers, according to the World Health Organization and Canadian health
officials. CNN
UN says Ebola is back. 24/3/2014
According to the U.N.
Ebola, the nightmarish virus that causes painful, bloody deaths for
almost all who are infected, has reared its ugly head in Guinea, but
there's some dispute about whether the victims actually have Ebola.
According to UNICEF, the disease has killed at least 59 of the 80... CONTINUE HERE
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From
April 2014 I have started monitoring the evolution of the Ebola
Outbreak in order to ensure safety for my staff. Since I do it for my
people..., why not for everyone else? So I built this webpage to share
the information I gather and help fighting this threatening epidemic.
ABOUT EBOLA:
There have been more than 3,000 reported cases and more than 1,600 deaths since the discovery of Ebola. The latest outbreak started March 2014 in West Africa. ABOUT EBOLAUPDATE.COM We share Updates about the 2014 Ebola Outbreak. We work in 4 languages: Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. The articles are selected for this website based on scientific and informative relevance. Diversity and "awareness potential" are also part of our criteria. Ebola Map 27/6/2014
DOWNLOAD THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REPORTS
Ebola Fast FactsSymptoms:
Symptoms
of Ebola typically include: weakness, fever, aches, diarrhea, vomiting
and stomach pain. Additional experiences include rash, red eyes, chest
pain, throat soreness, difficulty breathing or swallowing and bleeding
(including internal).
Typically, symptoms appear 8-10 days after exposure to the virus, but the incubation period can span two to 21 days. Unprotected health care workers are susceptible to infection because of their close contact with patients during treatment. 
Infection:
About the Virus:
Ebola
hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by one of five different Ebola
viruses. Four of the strains can cause severe illness in humans and
animals. The fifth, Reston virus, has caused illness in some animals,
but not in humans.
The first human outbreaks occurred in 1976, one in northern Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) in Central Africa: and the other, in southern Sudan (now South Sudan). The virus is named after the Ebola River, where the virus was first recognized in 1976, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deadly human Ebola outbreaks have been confirmed in the following countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, South Sudan, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Republic of the Congo (ROC), Guinea and Liberia. According to the World Health Organization, "there is no specific treatment or vaccine," and the fatality rate can be up to 90%. Patients are given supportive care, which includes providing fluids and electrolytes and food. There are five subspecies of the Ebola virus: Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV) and Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) Ebola Timeline:
Includes outbreaks resulting in more than 100 deaths or special cases.
1976 - First recognition of the EBOV disease is in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). The outbreak has 318 reported human cases, leading to 280 deaths. An SUDV outbreak also occurs in Sudan (now South Sudan), which incurs 284 cases and 151 deaths. 1989 - In Reston, Virginia, macaque monkeys imported from the Philippines are found to be infected with the Ebola virus (later named the Ebola-Reston virus). 1990 - In Texas and Virginia quarantine facilities, four humans develop Ebola antibodies after contact with monkeys imported from the Philippines. None of the humans has symptoms. 1995 - An outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) leads to 315 reported cases and at least 250 deaths. 2000-2001 - A Ugandan outbreak (SUDV) results in 425 human cases and 224 deaths. 2001-2002 - An EBOV outbreak occurs on the border of Gabon and Republic of the Congo (ROC), which results in 53 deaths on the Gabon side and at least 43 deaths on the Republic of the Congo side. 2002-2003 - An EBOV outbreak in Republic of the Congo results in 143 reported cases and 128 deaths. 2007 - An EBOV outbreak occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 187 of the 264 cases reported result in death. In late 2007, an outbreak in Uganda leads to 37 deaths. 149 cases were reported. November 2008 - The Ebola-Reston virus (RESTV) is detected in five humans in the Philippines. They are workers on a pig farm and slaughterhouse and suffer no symptoms. This is the first known occurrence of the Reston virus in pigs. Since March 2014 - Outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. There are at least 396 confirmed or suspected cases of EVD in Guinea, resulting in 280 deaths there, and in Liberia, there are 63 suspected or confirmed cases, resulting in 41 deaths. In Sierra Leone, there have been 176 suspected or confirmed cases with 46 deaths. How can we stop Ebola?
Ebola
is a Major challenge for West Africa, the Continent, the whole world.
It will require more than drastic measures and medical interventions to
be subdued.
Ebola will require a lot of information, education, and that all who are involved in this combat to share information, experience, and lessons learned. 
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