Ebola outbreak in rural West Africa: epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes.
Trop Med Int Health
; 20(4): 448-54, 2015 Apr.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25565430
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To describe Ebola cases in the district Ebola management centre of in Kailahun, a remote rural district of Sierra Leone, in terms of geographic origin, patient and hospitalisation characteristics, treatment outcomes and time from symptom onset to admission.METHODS:
Data of all Ebola cases from June 23rd to October 5th 2014 were reviewed. Ebola was confirmed by reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction assay.RESULTS:
Of 489 confirmed cases (51% male, median age 28 years), 166 (34%) originated outside Kailahun district. Twenty-eight (6%) were health workers 2 doctors, 11 nurses, 2 laboratory technicians, 7 community health workers and 6 other cadres. More than 50% of patients had fever, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhoea/vomiting. An unusual feature was cough in 40%. Unexplained bleeding was reported in 5%. Outcomes for the 489 confirmed cases were 227 (47%) discharges, 259 (53%) deaths and 3 transfers. Case fatality in health workers (68%) was higher than other occupations (52%, P = 0.05). The median community infectivity time was 6.5 days for both general population and health workers (P = 0.4).CONCLUSIONS:
One in three admitted cases originated outside Kailahun district due to limited national access to Ebola management centres - complicating contact tracing, safe burial and disinfection measures. The comparatively high case fatality among health workers requires attention. The community infectivity time needs to be reduced to prevent continued transmission.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Admisión del Paciente
/
Población Rural
/
Personal de Salud
/
Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola
/
Epidemias
Tipo de estudio:
Screening_studies
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Child
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Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
País/Región como asunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Trop Med Int Health
Asunto de la revista:
MEDICINA TROPICAL
/
SAUDE PUBLICA
Año:
2015
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Sierra Leona