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Master of Public Health

A plan for community event-based surveillance to reduce ebola transmission - sierra leone, 2014-2015.

AUTHORS

Crowe S , Hertz D , Maenner M , Ratnayake R , Baker P , Lash R , Klena J , Lee-Kwan SH , Williams C , Jonnie GT , Gorina Y , Anderson A , Saffa G , Carr D , Tuma J , Miller L , Turay A , Belay E , . MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. 2015 1 30; 64(3). 70-3

ABSTRACT

Ebola virus disease (Ebola) was first detected in Sierra Leone in May 2014 and was likely introduced into the eastern part of the country from Guinea. The disease spread westward, eventually affecting Freetown, Sierra Leone’s densely populated capital. By December 2014, Sierra Leone had more Ebola cases than Guinea and Liberia, the other two West African countries that have experienced widespread transmission. As the epidemic intensified through the summer and fall, an increasing number of infected persons were not being detected by the county’s surveillance system until they had died. Instead of being found early in the disease course and quickly isolated, these persons remained in their communities throughout their illness, likely spreading the disease.

Ebola virus disease (Ebola) was first detected in Sierra Leone in May 2014 and was likely introduced into the eastern part of the country from Guinea. The disease spread westward, eventually affecting Freetown, Sierra Leone’s densely populated capital. By December 2014, Sierra Leone had more Ebola cases than Guinea and Liberia, the other two West African countries that have experienced widespread transmission. As the epidemic intensified through the summer and fall, an increasing number of infected persons were not being detected by the county’s surveillance system until they had died. Instead of being found early in the disease course and quickly isolated, these persons remained in their communities throughout their illness, likely spreading the disease.

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