Fourth person dies of Ebola in latest flare up in Guinea

A fourth person has died of Ebola in Guinea in the latest flare up of an epidemic that has killed more than 11,300 people in that country, Sierra Leone and Liberia since 2013 but now claims few victims. The young girl who was hospitalized at the Ebola treatment center in Nzerekore is dead,” said Fode Tass Sylla, spokesman for the center that coordinates Guinea’s fight against the virus. Three others have died of the virus since Feb. 29. Health workers on Saturday also stepped up efforts to trace anyone who could have come into contact with the family. The world’s worst recorded Ebola epidemic is believed to have started in Guinea and killed about 2,500 people there by December last year, at which point the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) said it was no longer actively transmitted. WHO warned, however, that Ebola could resurface at any time, since it can linger in the eyes, central nervous system and bodily fluids of some survivors. It was not immediately clear how the villagers from Korokpara, around 100 km (60 miles) from Nzerekore, had contracted the disease but the area had previously resisted efforts to fight the illness in the initial epidemic. Read more at http://newsdaily.com/2016/03/fourth-person-dies-of-ebola-in-latest-flare-up-in-guinea/#RrDHZ6sxzoOgsmo4.99

E.B.O.L.A; overlooked causes of spread of virus from rural communities.

The recent E.B.O.L.A infection/deaths have sparked a lot of researches into how the virus spread silently and how it can be contained with surveillance and biosecurity measures. Controlling rural outbreaks is critical to eliminating Ebola,as research shows that 85 confirmed Ebola cases in the Kissidougou prefecture in Guinea were linked to a single funeral. The findings of this investigation highlight the importance of controlling local outbreaks in difficult-to-reach communities as a key component of the effort to eliminate Ebola, . In mid-December, rapid response teams were sent to villages in Kissidougou, where suspected Ebola cases had been reported. The teams of epidemiologists, clinicians and local public health officials interviewed patients and their household contacts and conducted testing. The teams admitted patients with suspected Ebola to a treatment center for confirmation testing, according to the researchers. In all, 62 patients, all from the Kissidougou prefecture, tested positive for Ebola and of these patients, 90% had Ebola-compatible symptoms, 51 patients died, 33 died in an Ebola treatment center and 18 deaths were community deaths. Patients who died in the community had not sought medical treatment; instead, family members reported the deaths to local health authorities, who considered them as suspected Ebola cases according to findings. The rapid response teams collected oral swabs from all the decedents within 24 hours of notification of death and all swabs tested positive.Household contact interviews revealed that all of the dead had attended the funeral of a well known midwife assistant, patient 1, in early December. Patient 1 traveled to a village in mid-November to perform a circumcision on an infant, who later died of an unknown cause, the researchers wrote. About 1 week after his return, patient 1 became ill with Ebola-like symptoms and he died on Dec. 4, without seeking medical attention. The funeral was attended by about 100 people from his own and other nearby villages. In Guinea, it is typical for funeral attendees to wash, touch and kiss the body of the deceased, according to the study and several funeral attendees probably had direct contact with the body and body fluids. The study shows that improved training for prompt reporting of cases, investigation and contact tracing and community acceptance of safe burial methods can reduce the risk for Ebola transmission in rural communities. Research

E-B-O-L-A ON THE MOVE .

The Ebola virus has caused a lot of deaths in and outside Africa.The worst hit African countries are Liberia,Sierra Leone and Guniea. The 3 countries with highest death toll were on the verge of a declaration as EBOLA FREE by the W.H.O before pockets of new cases emerged. The president of Guinea ; Alpha Conda, has announced the 45-day health emergency in the country.The restriction involve 5 major districts which are 1) Forecaniah, 2) Coyan 3) Dubreku 4)Boffa and 5) Kindia. The president noted that the virus has been traced along the coastal areas,the restrictions is to stamp out the virus and ensure proper surveillance and isolation. The latest cases of the Ebola virus occurred within the medical community, amongst health workers.Three doctors have been infected in Conakry hospital, this has been linked to lack of infection control in the hospital, and these lapses fueled the outbreak, and further spread of the virus. Six more medical personnel have been infected across 3 clinics in the western area of the country.The health facilities where personnel were infected have been quarantined and closed. Sierra leone also declared a 3 day nationwide lock down, which was fueled by fears that the virus was making a new entry.The health workers are going on a door-door campaign ,telling the citizens about the Ebola virus ,its mode of transmission and management protocol. The authorities also have a dedicated helpline which citizens are to dial in case of any new outbreak. Mass education and mobilization of the citizens and health workers are also underway, to ensure prevention of the virus and more deaths. The lifestyle of the people in the country has been linked to the the infection with the virus and consequent spread of the virus.It is worthy of note that bush meat and bats which are reservoir host of the Ebola virus is a delicacy in these countries,also community festivals, cooking parlors which are common place in these countries are another means of spread of the virus. Complacency on the part of health workers has also been fingered in the spread and maintenance of foci of infection. The virus is inactivated with soap and water; hence handwashing is key to prevent spread ,also alcohol based hand sanitizers will kill the virus.Decontamination of clothing and premises with bleach is also another means to kill the virus.Cleaning floors,tables,walls and drains with bleach also go a long way to destroy the virus. Keep washing hands with soap and clean floors with bleach.