Tag: Ebola

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Ebola Survivor Contaminated Years In the past Could Have Began New Outbreak

Ebola Survivor Infected Years Ago May Have Started New Outbreak

Genetic sequences of virus samples from current patients were compared to those from the 2014-16 outbreak and found to be so similar that they must be closely related, the researchers said. The report, which went online on Friday, involved researchers from the Guinean Ministry of Health, other laboratories in the country, the Pasteur Institute in Senegal, the University of Edinburgh, the Medical Center of the University of Nebraska and the PraesensBio company.

The results were published on Friday by Science and Stat.

“There are very few genomic changes and for these to occur the virus must multiply,” said Dr. Conductor. “I think the virus is mostly in hibernation.”

“Among other things, it shows you the brilliant insights that molecular sequencing of the entire genome can provide,” he said. “Up until that point, we all thought the current outbreak was a result of the transmission of bats from nature. But it probably came from a human reservoir. “

Michael Wiley, a virologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and executive director of PraesensBio, which provided materials to study the samples, described the current outbreak as a “continuation” of the previous one.

He said persistent infections and sexual transmission were already detected during the outbreak in West Africa and during an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Every new milestone for virus persistence was a shock, he said: first 180 days, then 500 days and now more than five years after the initial infection.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement from spokesman Thomas Skinner: “CDC has reviewed sequencing data from samples taken during the current outbreak in Guinea. While we can’t be 100 percent sure, CDC agrees that the data support the conclusion that cases of the current outbreak are likely to be related to cases in the region during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. “

He added, “This suggests that the outbreak likely came from persistent infection, survivor, rather than new introduction of the virus from the animal reservoir. While we have seen survivor-related outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the amount of time between the end of the 2014-2016 outbreak and when this outbreak occurred is surprising, underscoring the need for further research to better understand the complex epidemiology of Ebola. “

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Health

White Home says Ebola outbreaks in Africa want swift motion

White House says Ebola outbreaks in Africa need swift action

The two burgeoning Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea require swift action “to avoid catastrophic consequences,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.

It is the first official White House statement on the recurrence of Ebola in the two African countries. Psaki said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation in Central and West Africa.

“While the world is plagued by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola has re-emerged in both Central and West Africa at the same time. The world cannot afford to go the other way,” Psaki wrote in the statement. “We must do everything in our power to respond quickly, effectively and by reasonable means to stop these outbreaks before they turn into large-scale epidemics.”

The World Health Organization announced last week that it had confirmed new cases of Ebola in Butembo, a city in North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city was an epicenter of the world’s second largest Ebola outbreak, which was declared over in June. WHO officials said Friday they would transport vaccines to the hard-to-reach city and try to contain the highly deadly disease before it spreads widely.

Regardless, Guinea officials confirmed the reappearance of Ebola in N’Zerekore in southern Guinea over the weekend. The West African nation declared an Ebola epidemic on Sunday after at least three people died and four more were infected with the disease. The neighboring countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia have put their citizens on alert.

In contrast to the highly infectious coronavirus, which can be transmitted by people without symptoms, it is believed that Ebola spreads mainly through people who are already visibly ill. The virus spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of people who are sick or have died of the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ebola has an average death rate of 50% which, according to the WHO, can vary depending on the outbreak.

Psaki said US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with ambassadors from Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Liberia on Tuesday “to convey the United States’ readiness to work closely with these countries”.

“Mr. Sullivan highlighted President Biden’s commitment to lead the United States to strengthen health security and create better systems to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies,” said Psaki. “Outbreaks require a quick and overwhelming response to avoid disastrous consequences.”

The recurrence of Ebola in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo has hit global health specialists particularly hard, as these countries have the two worst Ebola outbreaks in history. The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, declared in June, lasted nearly two years. At the time of the end, there were a total of 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths, according to WHO.

The infamous Ebola outbreak in West Africa began in Guinea in 2014 before spreading across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia, according to WHO. By the end of 2016, there were more than 28,000 cases, including over 11,000 deaths, according to the WHO.

“Since the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the United States has sought to increase and prioritize health security support with partners under the global health security agenda and with strong support from Congress,” Psaki added Tuesday. “We cannot afford to take our foot off the gas – even in the fight against COVID, we must ensure the capacity and funding of health security worldwide.”

During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the US CDC confirmed 11 cases of Ebola in the US, mostly among medical professionals who had traveled to Africa to help with the response. Dr. Syra Madad, senior director of the system-wide program for specific pathogens at New York City Health + Hospitals, told CNBC on Tuesday that the city was working to ensure that its outbreak response protocols are up to date.

“Every time an epidemic is reported, at least in New York City – we know we are a travel center – we need to make sure our people are up to date on skills [personal protective equipment] and identify these patients, “she said in a telephone interview.” There’s a big mess just to make sure the concept of the operation plan is dusted off. “

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World News

Guinea Declares Ebola Outbreak With at Least three Deaths

Guinea Declares Ebola Outbreak With at Least 3 Deaths

Guinea is battling a new Ebola outbreak, West African nation health officials said on Sunday, with at least three deaths in a region that was previously the starting point for the worst epidemic of all time.

The three deceased – two women and one man – were among seven people who developed symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding after attending a nurse’s funeral in the southeastern part of the country on Feb.1, the Ministry of Health said in a statement With.

Officials confirmed an epidemic on Sunday after a laboratory found the virus in the first three samples tested by the patients.

“The government assures people that all measures are being taken to contain this epidemic as soon as possible,” the Guinean Ministry of Health said in a Facebook post on Sunday, adding that people are reporting more symptoms to health authorities, and hygiene and prevention should respect dimensions. It also said it would expedite the delivery of vaccines to the area and open a center to deal with established cases.

Guinea had not seen an Ebola case since 2016 when it came to an end to an epidemic that began in its southeastern region in 2014. This deadliest outbreak to date spread to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone, eventually infecting more than 28,000 people in 10 countries, killing more than 11,000.

The resurgence comes as West Africa is still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic and after the Democratic Republic of the Congo also found new cases of Ebola three months after health officials said they wiped out the most recent outbreak in the Congo.

Dr. Mashidiso Moeti, regional director of the World Health Organization for Africa, said on Twitter on Sunday that she was “very concerned” about the reports from Guinea and that the agency was “stepping up preparedness and response efforts for this possible resurgence”.

The Ebola virus spreads through contact with body fluids or secretions from an infected or recently deceased person and causes a hemorrhagic fever with an average death rate of about half, although two vaccines are now available for it.

“We will quickly deploy vital resources to help Guinea,” said Drs. Georges Alfred Ki-Zerbo, a representative of the World Health Organization, told the Agence France-Presse news agency, adding that the group was in contact with the maker of a vaccine to dispense doses to control the outbreak.

“The arsenal is stronger now and we will use this to contain this situation as soon as possible,” said Dr. Ki-zerbo.

Anna Holland contributed to the reporting.

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Health

WHO races to include Ebola within the DRC because it confirms a 3rd case

WHO races to contain Ebola in the DRC as it confirms a third case

World Health Organization employees decontaminate the house of a pastor who just tested positive for Ebola on June 13, 2019 in Beni.

Sally Hayden | SOPA pictures | LightRocket | Getty Images

The World Health Organization confirmed a third case of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Friday as health officials attempt to vaccinate residents and contain the possible outbreak.

Earlier this week, the global health agency confirmed that a woman has died of the disease in Butembo, a city in North Kivu province and the epicenter of a previous Ebola outbreak that was declared over in June. WHO has since confirmed two more cases, including one more person who has died, said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO health emergencies program, on Friday.

The number of people who may have been exposed to the virus rose from over 70 on Monday to 182 on Friday, Ryan said. He added that all but three of these people had been contacted and more than half of them had previously been vaccinated against Ebola in previous outbreaks.

“We’re seeing some benefits from previous vaccination, but of course we need to look at how long the vaccine protects,” he said.

He added that new vaccine shipments had arrived in Butembo this week. Ultra-cold chain storage equipment will be set up and staff trained in Butembo, Ryan said.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo also has other therapeutics, including anti-body monoclonal Ebola treatments, in its capital, Kinshasa, and another city, Mbandaka, Ryan said, adding that they will be flown to North Kivu over the weekend. Democratic Republic of the Congo has enough vaccine for 16,000 people in the country, Ryan said, but it’s not clear how much has gotten to Butembo.

WHO is “still unclear about the original community source” of the first Ebola case, Ryan said, adding that the National Institute for Biomedical Research of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is sequencing samples of the virus at its main laboratory in Kinshasa to see if the new cases are associated with the most recent butembo outbreak. Ryan said the results are expected over the weekend.

The Ebola outbreak, declared in June, lasted almost two years. It was the second largest in the world and at the time of its end there were a total of 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths, according to the WHO.

WHO noted that efforts to respond to outbreaks in North Kivu province have been particularly difficult due to the ongoing violent conflict in the area, which is occupied by over 100 different armed groups, according to Human Rights Watch.

Ryan said WHO is working with non-governmental organizations, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other United Nations agencies such as UNICEF to respond to the new Ebola cases.

In contrast to the highly infectious coronavirus, which can be transmitted by people without symptoms, it is believed that Ebola spreads mainly through people who are already visibly ill. The virus spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of people who are sick or have died of the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ebola has an average death rate of 50% which, according to the WHO, can vary depending on the outbreak.

“Of course, two cases and now a third don’t seem like many, many cases given the global situation at Covid, but we’ve been waiting for Ebola to return in Eastern Congo and we will.” do everything in our power to assist the government in responding, “said Ryan.