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Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) predominantly affect vulnerable and marginalized populations in tropical and subtropical areas and globally affect more than one billion people. In Guinea, the burden of NTDs is estimated to be >7.5 disability-adjusted life years per million inhabitants. Currently the Guinea NTDs master plan (2017–2020) has identified eight diseases as public health problems: onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, leprosy, human African trypanosomiasis and Buruli ulcer. In this review we discuss the past and the current case burden of the priority NTDs in Guinea, highlight the major milestones and discuss current and future areas of focus for achieving the 2030 target outlined by the World Health Organization.

The 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Epidemic devastated Guinea’s health system and constituted a public health emergency of international concern. Following the crisis, Guinea invested in the establishment of basic health system reforms and crucial legal instruments for strengthening national health security in line with the WHO’s recommendations for ensuring better preparedness for (and, therefore, a response to) health emergencies. The investments included the scaling up of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response; Joint External Evaluation of International Health Regulation capacities; National Action Plan for Health Security; Simulation Exercises; One Health platforms; creation of decentralised structures such as regional and prefectural Emergency Operation Centres; Risk assessment and hazard identification; Expanding human resources capacity; Early Warning Alert System and community preparedness. These investments were tested in the subsequent 2021 EVD outbreak and other epidemics. In this case, there was a timely declaration and response to the 2021 EVD epidemic, a lower-case burden and mortality rate, a shorter duration of the epidemic and a significant reduction in the cost of the response. Similarly, there was timely detection, response and containment of other epidemics including Lassa fever and Marburg virus disease. Findings suggest the utility of the preparedness activities for the early detection and efficient containment of outbreaks, which, therefore, underlines the need for all countries at risk of infectious disease epidemics to invest in similar reforms. Doing so promises to be not only cost-effective but also lifesaving.

During the 2018-2020 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, EVD was diagnosed in a patient who had received the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-based vaccine expressing a ZEBOV glycoprotein (rVSV-ZEBOV) (Merck). His treatment included an Ebola virus (EBOV)-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb114), and he recovered within 14 days. However, 6 months later, he presented again with severe EVD-like illness and EBOV viremia, and he died. We initiated epidemiologic and genomic investigations that showed that the patient had had a relapse of acute EVD that led to a transmission chain resulting in 91 cases across six health zones over 4 months. (Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others.).

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is defined as a complete and persistent cessation of the transit of materials and gases. It occurs in a segment of the digestive tract located between the pylorus and the colorectal junction. We report an observational study which aims to describe the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of small bowel obstruction. This study was carried out in the General Surgery Department of Hopital Somine DOLO de Mopti from October 1, 2016 to October 1, 2018. A total of 114 patients were recorded for whom the diagnosis was related to an occlusion. The median age was 37 years with extremes ranging from 6 months to 90 years. Male sex was predominant with a sex-ratio of 1.8. The frequency of small bowel occlusions over all occlusions was 74.03%. The most encountered clinical signs were as followed: abdominal pain (100%), vomiting (88.6%), cessation of materials and gas (79.9%) and meteorism (62.3%). All patients underwent medical imaging, the most common of which was an abdomen without preparation X-ray (AWP). On the etiological level, the main causes found postoperatively were: flanges and adhesion (55.2%), strangulated hernias (28.0%), acute intussusception (6.1%), small bowel volvulus (3.5%) and small bowel tumor (1.6%). Releasing the bridles was the most common surgery process (28.0%). The morbidity of the immediate follow-up was (13.1%) and the mortality was (7.0%). This high mortality is due to ignorance of the signs of seriousness and the socio-cultural barrier (decision of the patriarch to agree to a surgical intervention), the late use of hospital facility and the limited financial capability of the patients.

The simultaneous double volvulus of the transverse colon and sigmoid in the same patient is a rare cause of intestinal occlusion. Two cases were observed in general surgery in Kati. Its clinical symptomatology does not differ from other occlusions as well as simple radiological images. It is an extreme surgical emergency, the diagnosis is generally intraoperative. Extensive left hemi colectomy with terminoterminal rectal anastomosis was performed. The surgical follow-up was simple.

Ileal perforation of typhus origin is a common and serious complication of typhoid fever in tropical environments. It is one of the main causes of morbidity in surgery in Mali. However, it would be preventable if salmonellosis were properly managed upstream, and if our living environments were cleaned up. The purpose of this study is to report on the experience of the Kati UHC General Surgery Department in the management of peritonitis by typhic perforation and to assess its prognosis. Patients and Method: This is a retrospective descriptive study that took place from January 2007 to December 2020 in the General Surgery department of the Hospitalo-University BSS Center of Kati (Mali). We have included patients who have undergone peritonitis with confirmed typhic ileal perforation with laparotomy. The other etiologies of peritonitis by ileal perforation were not retained. Results: In 14 years, we collected 89 cases of peritonitis by typhic ileal perforation. It accounted for 3.14% (89/2829) of surgical procedures, 37.5% (89/1181) of visceral surgical emergencies and 27.6% (89/322) of all acute peritonitis causes combined. There were 70 men against 29 women; the sex ratio was 2.4 with an average age of 25.8 years (extremes 8 years to 65 years). Anastomosis resetions (ileo ileal and ileocolic) predominated in 71.8% of patients. However, the ileo stoma was performed in 5.6%. A significant relationship (p 0.05) was observed between high mortality and MPI score > 26. Morbidity was 39.4% with mortality of 15.7%. The average length of stay in hospital was 12.2 days. Conclusion: Typhoid ileal perforation is common in young male adolescents in visceral surgery. This pathology generates significant morbidity. However with the extension of hand washing after Ebola disease its frequency has dropped.

We undertook a prospective and descriptive observational study on abdominal trauma from February 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017. The aim of this work was to identify the typology and management of abdominal trauma cases in our surgery department. Overall, abdominal trauma represented 3.54% (62/1751) of all surgeries during the study period. Among the 62 cases, men accounted for 59 and women for 3. The sex ratio was 19.67. The mean age was 24 ± 15 years. Road accidents were the most represented with 43.5% of cases. The couple of signs, hypovolemic shock and abdominal pain and decrease on blood pressure were the prominent clinical symptoms with 100.0%, and 50.0% of cases, respectively. Abdominal ultrasound and abdominal x-ray without contrast were performed in 67.0% and 18.0% of cases, respectively. Abdominal trauma was divided into two entities: contusion 68% and wounds 32%. Medical treatment was sufficient in 23.00% of cases. Laparotomy as a surgical approach was performed in 77.0% of cases. Local hemostasis plus drainage (27.08%), splenectomy (25.00%), suture (14.58%), hemostasis by tamponade (8.33%) and colostomy (2.08%) were undertaken as surgical procedures when it came to deal with contusions. Debridement of wounds plus suture and hemostasis by tamponade was performed in 18.73% and 4.16 cases, respectively. The most observed lesions were those of the spleen with 27.42% and those of the small bowel with 24.19%. The postoperative follow-up was straightforward in 83.33% of cases. The overall mortality was 4.17%.

Introduction: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is defined as a complete and persistent cessation of the transit of materials and gases. It occurs in a segment of the digestive tract located between the pylorus and the colorectal junction. Herein, we report a case of small bowel obstruction (SBO) following excessive consumption of wild grapes with no previous abdomen medical or surgical history. Presentation of case: A 65-year-old male farmer presented with cessation of materials and gas associated with vomiting of food and then bilious. The abdomen was bloated and painful on palpation with a moving, painful mass in the left iliac fossa. The hypothesis of acute occlusion of the colon was retained and confirmed on the X-Ray which showed a dilation of small bowel with air-fluid levels. The diagnostic of acute SBO was retained. We performed urgently a median laparotomy. We found the dilation of the loops from the jejunum to the sigmoid colon with a compact mass at the sigmoid colon of 15 cm in length and 6 cm in diameter. We proceeded to crush the mass that was made up with wild grape seed fecal, and push it back to the rectum. The phytobezoar made up with wild grape seeds was extracted through the anus with the fingers after anal dilation. After extraction of the bezoar, the patient’s complaints completely subsided. Discussion: SBO is a frequent emergency surgical pathology. SBO induced by phytobezoar often occurs in patients with abdomen surgery history. However, it is particularly rare in virgin abdomen. Conclusion: This case report aims to raise awareness of phytobezoar as a cause of SBO in elderly even though without abdomen surgery history.

Background On April 10, 2020, while the independent committee of the International Health Regulation was meeting to decide whether the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Demogratic Republic of Congo still constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, a new confirmed case was reported in the city of Beni, the last epicenter of the epidemic. This study aimed to understand the source of this cluster and learn from the implemented control strategies for improved response in the future. Methods We conducted a combined epidemiological and genomic investigation to understand the origins and dynamics of transmission within this cluster and describe the strategy that successfully controlled the outbreak. Results Eight cases were identified as belonging to this final cluster. A total of 1028 contacts were identified. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that all cases belonged to the same cluster, the closest sequence to which was identified as a case from the Beni area with symptom onset in July 2019 and a difference of just 31 nucleotides. Outbreak control measures included community confinement of high-risk contacts. Conclusions This study illustrates the high risk of additional flare-ups in the period leading to the end-of-outbreak declaration and the importance of maintaining enhanced surveillance and confinement activities to rapidly control Ebola outbreaks.

In this case report, we describe a clinical presentation and therapeutic history of a unique case diagnosed with Lassa fever and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a 23-year-old man from Yomou prefecture in southeast Guinea identified with suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the midst of an ongoing outbreak of that disease in the same region. On May 3, 2021, he was admitted to the Nzérékoré Epidemic disease treatment center where his clinical condition deteriorated significantly. Laboratory testing performed on the same day reveals a negative EVD polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Three days later, the patient was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and Lassa fever by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assays. Laboratory examination also indicated severe hematological and biochemical deteriorations in the patient. This case substantiates the need for systematic differential diagnosis during epidemic-prone disease outbreaks to better manage severely unwell patients.

BackgroundOn April 10, 2020, while the independent committee of the International Health Regulation (IHR) was meeting to decide whether the 10th Ebola outbreak in the DRC still constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, a new confirmed case was notified in the city of Beni, the last epicentre of the epidemic. This study aimed to understand the source of this cluster and learn from the implemented control strategies for improved EVD outbreak response in future. MethodsWe conducted a combined epidemiological and genomic investigation to understand the origins and dynamics of transmission within this cluster and describe the strategy that successfully controlled the outbreak. ResultsEight cases were identified as belonging to the last cluster of Beni; two males and six females, with a median age of 22 years (range 7 - 68 years). Five cases were likely nosocomially infected. A total of 1,028 contacts were identified. Whole Genome Sequencing revealed that all cases belonged to the same cluster, the closest sequence to which was identified as a case from Beni area with symptom onset in July 2019 and a difference of just 31 nucleotides. Outbreak control measures included community confinement of high-risk contacts, undertaken in accordance with key guiding principles agreed with the affected community. ConclusionThe study illustrates the high risk of additional flare-ups in the period leading to the end-of-outbreak declaration and the importance of maintaining enhanced surveillance and confinement activities to rapidly control Ebola outbreaks.

BackgroundDespite tremendous progress on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), challenges remain in the implementation of holistic strategies to quickly stop outbreaks. We investigated the effectiveness of a community-based confinement strategy to limit the spread of EVD during the tenth documented EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 2018 - 2020.MethodsWe did a community-based, open-label, two-group, unrandomized controlled intervention. Eligible participants were EVD contacts registered by epidemiological surveillance teams from November 2019 to May 2020 in the two last hotspots (Beni and Mabalako Health Zones). Intervention group participants were confined in specific community sites of their preference for the duration of their follow-up. Control group participants underwent CT without confinement and were allowed to continue their daily activities. The primary outcome was the number of confirmed secondary cases in the two groups. Secondary outcomes included delay between symptom onset and isolation, case fatality rate, survival rate, and vaccination rate. Data were analyzed using various quantitative methods.FindingsA total of 27,324 EVD contacts were included in the study. 585 contacts were confined and followed up (‘the intervention group’), and 26,739 were followed up without confinement. The intervention group generated 32 confirmed cases (5.5%) in the first generation, while the control group generated just 87 (0.3%). However, the 32 confirmed cases from the intervention contacts did not generate any onward transmission (R=0.00), whereas the 87 confirmed cases from the non-intervention group generated 99 secondary cases (R = 1.14). Results for the secondary outcomes showed significant difference between the two groups. The delay between symptom onset and case isolation was shorter (1.3 vs 4.8 days; pInterpretationThe community-based confinement strategy used in DRC is effective for the rapid cessation of EVD transmission, highlighting the importance of rapidly implemented, innovative and community-oriented control strategies.

At the end of the 2013-2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak in Guinea, we implemented an alert system for early detection of Ebola resurgence among survivors. Survivors were asked to report health alerts in their household and provide body fluid specimens for laboratory testing. During April-September 2016, a total of 1,075 (88%) of 1,215 survivors participated in the system; follow up occurred at a median of 16 months after discharge (interquartile range 14-18 months). Of these, 784 acted as focal points and reported 1,136 alerts (including 4 deaths among survivors). A total of 372 (91%) of 408 eligible survivors had >1 semen specimen tested; of 817 semen specimens, 5 samples from 4 survivors were positive up to 512 days after discharge. No lochia (0/7) or breast milk (0/69) specimens tested positive. Our findings underscore the importance of long-term monitoring of survivors' semen samples in an Ebola-affected country.

Despite its critical role in containing outbreaks, the efficacy of contact tracing (CT), measured as the sensitivity of case detection, remains an elusive metric. We estimated the sensitivity of CT by applying unilist capture-recapture methods on data from the 2018-2020 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We applied different distributional assumptions to the zero-truncated count data to estimate the number of unobserved cases with a) any contacts and b) infected contacts, to compute CT sensitivity. Geometric distributions were the best fitting models. Our results indicate that CT efforts identified almost all (n=792, 99%) of the cases with any contacts, but only half (n=207, 48%) of the cases with infected contacts, suggesting that CT efforts performed well at identifying contacts during the listing stage, but performed poorly during the contact follow-up stage. We discuss extensions to our work and potential applications for the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Summary Background A record number of people survived Ebola virus infection in the 2013–16 outbreak in west Africa, and the number of survivors has increased after subsequent outbreaks. A range of post-Ebola sequelae have been reported in survivors, but little is known about subsequent mortality. We aimed to investigate subsequent mortality among people discharged from Ebola treatment units. Methods From Dec 8, 2015, Surveillance Active en ceinture, the Guinean national survivors' monitoring programme, attempted to contact and follow-up all survivors of Ebola virus disease who were discharged from Ebola treatment units. Survivors were followed up until Sept 30, 2016, and deaths up to this timepoint were recorded. Verbal autopsies were done to gain information about survivors of Ebola virus disease who subsequently died from their closest family members. We calculated the age-standardised mortality ratio compared with the general Guinean population, and assessed risk factors for mortality using survival analysis and a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Findings Of the 1270 survivors of Ebola virus disease who were discharged from Ebola treatment units in Guinea, information was retrieved for 1130 (89%). Compared with the general Guinean population, survivors of Ebola virus disease had a more than five-times increased risk of mortality up to Dec 31, 2015 (age-standardised mortality ratio 5·2 [95% CI 4·0–6·8]), a mean of 1 year of follow-up after discharge. Thereafter (ie, from Jan 1–Sept 30, 2016), mortality did not differ between survivors of Ebola virus disease and the general population. (0·6 [95% CI 0·2–1·4]). Overall, 59 deaths were reported, and the cause of death was tentatively attributed to renal failure in 37 cases, mostly on the basis of reported anuria. Longer stays (ie, equal to or longer than the median stay) in Ebola treatment units were associated with an increased risk of late death compared with shorter stays (adjusted hazard ratio 2·62 [95% CI 1·43–4·79]). Interpretation Mortality was high in people who recovered from Ebola virus disease and were discharged from Ebola treatment units in Guinea. The finding that survivors who were hospitalised for longer during primary infection had an increased risk of death, could help to guide current and future survivors' programmes and in the prioritisation of funds in resource-constrained settings. The role of renal failure in late deaths after recovery from Ebola virus disease should be investigated. Funding WHO, International Medical Corps, and the Guinean Red Cross.

During an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, calculating the exposure window of a confirmed case can assist field investigators in identifying the source of infection and establishing chains of transmission. However, field investigators often have difficulty calculating this window. We developed a bilingual (English/French), smartphone-based field application to assist field investigators in determining the exposure window of an EVD case. The calculator only requires the reported date of symptoms onset and the type of symptoms present at onset or the date of death. Prior to the release of this application, there was no similar electronic capability to enable consistent calculation of EVD exposure windows for field investigators. The Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Health endorsed the application and incorporated it into trainings for field staff. Available for Apple and Android devices, the calculator continues to be downloaded even as the eastern DRC outbreak resolved. We rapidly developed and implemented a smartphone application to estimate the exposure window for EVD cases in an outbreak setting

Despite its critical role in containing outbreaks, the efficacy of contact tracing, measured as the sensitivity of case detection, remains an elusive metric. We estimated the sensitivity of contact tracing by applying unilist capture-recapture methods on data from the 2018-2020 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To compute sensitivity, we applied different distributional assumptions to the zero-truncated count data to estimate the number of unobserved case-patients with any contacts and infected contacts. Geometric distributions were the best-fitting models. Our results indicate that contact tracing efforts identified almost all (n = 792, 99%) of case-patients with any contacts but only half (n = 207, 48%) of case-patients with infected contacts, suggesting that contact tracing efforts performed well at identifying contacts during the listing stage but performed poorly during the contact follow-up stage. We discuss extensions to our work and potential applications for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The 10th and largest Ebola virus disease epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was declared in North Kivu Province in August 2018 and ended in June 2020. We describe and evaluate an Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS) implemented in the Beni health zone of DRC during August 5, 2018-June 30, 2020. During this period, 194,768 alerts were received, of which 30,728 (15.8%) were validated as suspected cases. From these, 801 confirmed and 3 probable cases were detected. EWARS showed an overall good performance: sensitivity and specificity >80%, nearly all (97%) of alerts investigated within 2 hours of notification, and good demographic representativeness. The average cost of the system was US $438/case detected and US $1.8/alert received. The system was stable, despite occasional disruptions caused by political insecurity. Our results demonstrate that EWARS was a cost-effective component of the Ebola surveillance strategy in this setting.

Contains fulltext : 219854.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVE: To estimate the time-dependent measles effective reproduction number (Rt) as an indicator of the impact of three outbreak response vaccination (ORV) campaigns on measles transmission during a nationwide outbreak in Guinea. METHODS: Rt represents the average number of secondary cases generated by a single primary case in a partially immune population during a given time period. Measles Rt was estimated using daily incidence data for 3952 outbreak-associated measles cases in Guinea in 2017 for the time periods prior to, between, and following each of three ORV campaigns using a simple and extensible mathematical model. RESULTS: Rt was estimated to be above the threshold value of 1 during the initial growth period of the outbreak until the first ORV campaign began on March 13 (Rt=1.60, 95% CI: 1.55-1.67). It subsequently dropped below 1 and remained

The 2014–2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) disease outbreak affected over 29000 people and left behind the biggest cohort (over 17000 individuals) of Ebola survivors in history. Although the persistence of EBOV in body fluids of survivors was reported before the recent outbreak, new evidence revealed that the virus can be detected up to 18 months in the semen, which represents the biggest risk of Ebola resurgence in affected communities. In this study, we review the knowledge on the Ebola flare-ups that occurred after the peak of the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

Background In 2014–2016, West Africa faced the most deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in history. A key strategy to overcome this outbreak was continual staff training in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), with a focus on Ebola. This research aimed to evaluate the impact of IPC training and the quality of IPC performance in health care facilities of one municipality of Conakry, Guinea. Methods This study was conducted in February 2016. All health facilities within Ratoma municipality, Conakry, Guinea, were evaluated based on IPC performance standards developed by the Guinean Ministry of Health. The IPC performance of healthcare facilities was categorised into high or low IPC scores based on the median IPC score of the sample. The Mantel-Haenzsel method and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results Twenty-five percent of health centres had one IPC-trained worker, 53% had at least two IPC-trained workers, and 22% of health centres had no IPC-trained workers. An IPC score above median was positively associated with the number of trained staff; health centres with two or more IPC-trained workers were eight times as likely to have an IPC score above median, while those with one IPC-trained worker were four times as likely, compared to centres with no trained workers. Health centres that implemented IPC cascade training to untrained medical staff were five times as likely to have an IPC score above median. Conclusions This research highlights the importance of training healthcare staff in IPC and organising regular cascade trainings. IPC strategies implemented during the outbreak should continue to be reinforced for the better health of patients and medical staff, and be considered a key factor in any outbreak response. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-5444-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background By the end of the 2013–2016 West African Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks, a total of 3814 cases (probable and confirmed) and 2544 deaths were reported in Guinea. Clearly, surveillance activities aiming at stopping human-to-human transmission have been the breakthrough of EVD outbreak management, but their application has been at times easier said than done. This article presents five confirmed or probable EVD cases that arose in Conakry towards the end of the Guinea epidemic, which demonstrate flaws in surveillance and follow-up. Case presentation For case 1, safe burial requirements were not followed. For cases 1 and 2, negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) results were interpreted as no infection. For the first case, the sample may have not been taken properly while for the second the disease was possibly at its early stage. Case 3 was stopped at a border health checkpoint and despite her high temperature she was allowed to continue the bus journey. For case 4, an oral swab sample was supposedly taken after death but could not be found for retrospective testing. Despite characteristic symptomatology, case 5 was not identified as a suspect case for as long as 3 weeks. Conclusion In epidemic contexts, health systems must be able to track all samples of suspect cases and deaths, regardless of their laboratory results. Social mobilization in communities and training in health care facilities must be strengthened at the tail of an outbreak, to avoid the natural slackening of disease surveillance, in particular for long-lasting and deadly epidemics.

Background The ninth outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo occurred in Équateur Province from 8 May-24 July 2018. A system of health facility (HF)-based active case finding (ACF) was implemented in Mbandaka, a regional capital with four confirmed EVD cases, following completion of contact tracing. The goal of this HF-based ACF system was to look for undetected EVD cases among patients that visited HFs beginning one week prior to the system’s implementation. Methods From 23 June – 24 July 2018, ACF teams visited HFs in Mbandaka and reviewed all medical records as far back as 17 June for any consultations meeting the suspected EVD case definition. The teams then assessed whether to validate these as suspected EVD cases based on factors such as recovery, epidemiological links, and their clinical judgement. ACF teams also assessed HFs’ awareness of EVD symptoms and the process for alerting suspected cases. We calculated descriptive statistics regarding the characteristics of reviewed consultations, alert cases, and visited HFs. We also used univariate and multivariate random effects logistic regression models to evaluate the impact of repeated ACF visits to the same HF on the staff’s awareness of EVD. Results ACF teams reviewed 37,746 consultations, of which 690 met the definition of a suspected case of EVD. Two were validated as suspected EVD cases and transferred to the Ebola Treatment Unit for testing; both tested negative. Repeated ACF visits to the same HF were significantly associated with improved EVD awareness (p Conclusion HF-based ACF during EVD outbreaks may improve EVD awareness and reveal many individuals meeting the suspected case definition. However, many who meet this definition may not have EVD, depending on the population size covered by ACF and amount of ongoing EVD transmission. Given the burdensome procedure of testing suspected EVD cases, future HF-based ACF systems would benefit from improved clarity on which patients require further testing.

Background Infectious disease prevention and control strategies require a coordinated, transnational approach. To establish core capacities of the International Health Regulations (IHR), the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy. Epidemic-prone Lassa fever, caused by Lassa virus, is an endemic disease in the West African countries of Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Benin, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo and Nigeria. It’s one of the major public health threats in these countries. Here it is reported an epidemiological investigation of a cross-border case of Lassa fever, which demonstrated the importance of strengthened capacities of IHR and IDSR. Case presentation On January 9th, 2018 a 35-year-old Guinean woman with fever, neck pain, body pain, and vomiting went to a hospital in Ganta, Liberia. Over the course of her illness, the case visited various health care facilities in both Liberia and Guinea. A sample collected on January 10th was tested positive for Lassa virus by RT-PCR in a Liberian laboratory. The Guinean Ministry of Health (MoH) was officially informed by WHO Country Office for Guinea and for Liberia. Conclusion This case report revealed how an epidemic-prone disease such as Lassa fever can rapidly spread across land borders and how such threat can be quickly controlled with communication and collaboration within the IHR framework.

Additional file 1. Model Details. This model provides the R syntax for the models used to assess EVD awareness (DOCX 21 kb)

In October 2015, a new case of Ebola virus disease in Guinea was detected. Case investigation, serology, and whole-genome sequencing indicated possible transmission of the virus from an Ebola virus disease survivor to another person and then to the case-patient reported here. This transmission chain over 11 months suggests slow Ebola virus evolution.

Background: The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the use of antibiotics; assess the knowledge and perception of prescribers regarding the use of antibiotics; to describe the policy on the use of antibiotics and to identify factors associated with high antibiotic consumption at the University Hospital of Conakry. Methods: This study has two components: a retrospective study covering three months' consumption of antibiotics (From January 2013 to March 2013), and a cross-sectional study on both the knowledge and perception of prescribers concerning the use of antibiotics and the policies on their proper use. Results: Of a total of 1,199 cases examined at the University Hospital of Conakry, 953 patients received at least one antibiotic about 79.5% of the total cases. The total amount consumed was 55.3 DDD / 100 BD. The class of the Extended-spectrum penicillin’s was widely the most used at 22.9 DDD / 100 BD. The median knowledge score of prescribers; valued at a total of 8, was equal to 5. The Composite Index for proper use of Antibiotic (CIATB) was 2.25 / 20. Determinants or factors associated with the large use of antibiotics were the hospital site, the ward and the average length of stay. Conclusion: Based on the results of our study, it appears that lot antibiotics are largely consumed at the University Hospital of Conakry; and that consumption are influenced by the hospital site, the ward and the length of stay. This study reveals also the absence of any policy of the rational use of antibiotics. Therefore, the study illustrates the need for the implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship action.

Introduction Towards the end of the 2013–2016 West African outbreak, sexually-transmitted Ebola virus re-emerged from Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors in all three hardest hit countries. We explore sex practices and awareness of the risk of Ebola virus transmission among EVD survivors and their partners. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we recruited a convenience sample of study participants aged >15 years who were male EVD survivors, their sexual partners and a comparison group. We administered a questionnaire to all respondents, estimated self-reported sexual practices and risk awareness and conducted in-depth interviews. Results We recruited 234 EVD survivors, 256 sexual partners of survivors and 65 individuals in the comparison group from five prefectures in Guinea. The prevalence of safe sexual behaviour (regular condom use or sexual abstinence >12 months) and regular condom use in EVD survivors was 38% (95% CI 31% to 44%) and 21% (95% CI 16% to 27%), respectively. Among partners, these prevalences were lower (11%, 95% CI 7% to 15% and 9%, 95% CI 5% to 12%, respectively). EVD survivors were more than five times as likely to engage in safe sexual behaviour compared with the comparison group (aOR 5.59, 95% CI 2.36 to 13.2). One-hundred and thirty one EVD survivors (57%) and 94 partners (37%) were aware of the risk of Ebola virus re-emergence associated with having unsafe sex. Partners who reported not being informed by their husband/boyfriend (EVD survivor) were more likely to be unaware of this risk (aOR 20.5, 95% CI 8.92 to 47.4). Conclusions We disclose here a need to improve knowledge of the disease and close the gap between knowledge and practice found in EVD survivors and their partners. Current and future survivors’ follow-up programmes should include partners and be more effective at communicating sex-related risks. Community-level fears and attitudes that enable stigmatisation should be addressed. Safe sex interventions targeting EVD survivors and their partners should be prioritised.

Background The 2013–2016 West African Ebola outbreak infected 28,616 people and caused 11,310 deaths by 11 May 2016, across six countries. The outbreak has also resulted in the largest number of EVD survivors in history—over 17,000. Guinea was declared Ebola-free on 1 June 2016. Reports from the outbreak documented 3814 cases resulting in 2544 deaths and 1270 survivors. EVD survivors face various neuropsychological and psycho-affective alterations that have not been fully identified yet. This study aims to document the depressive symptoms among adult survivors in Guinea. Methods Depressive symptoms were investigated using the French version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) administered to all adult survivors (≥ 20 years) participating in the PostEboGui study and receiving care in Conakry. The study was combined with a clinical consultation by a psychiatrist at the Donka National Hospital in Conakry that ensured adapted care was provided when needed. Results Overall, 256 adult participants receiving care in Conakry participated in this study: 55% were women, median age 31 years [IQR: 26–40]. The median time since the Ebola Treatment Center (ETC) discharge was 8.1 months [IQR: 4.1–11.7]. 15% had a score above the threshold values indicating psychological suffering (15% for men and 14% for women). 33 people (16 women and 17 men) met with the psychiatrist, which resulted in the diagnosis of 3 cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 3 cases of mild depression, 13 cases of moderate depression, and 11 cases of severe depression, including 1 with kinesthetic hallucinations and another with visual hallucinations, and 1 with suicidal ideation and 3 with attempted suicide. Severe depression was diagnosed between 1 and 19 months after ETC discharge. The various identified forms of depression responded favorably to conventional drug therapies and cognitive behavioral therapy. Conclusion Long-term follow-up for EVD survivors will be necessary to understand the evolution of these pathologies. In the current post-epidemic context, these cases underscore the need to strengthen mental health diagnostic systems and treatment on a national scale. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1280-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A 9-month-old infant died from Ebola virus (EBOV) disease with unknown epidemiological link. While her parents did not report previous illness, laboratory investigations revealed persisting EBOV RNA in the mother’s breast milk and the father’s seminal fluid. Genomic analysis strongly suggests EBOV transmission to the child through breastfeeding.

Introduction Tres peu de series africaines sur la maladie de Hodgkin pediatrique sont rapportees. Objectif decrire dans tous les aspects les differents cas de lymphome de Hodgkin traites dans notre unite d’oncologie pediatrique. Patients et Methodes Tout patient atteint de maladie de Hodgkin a ete inclus dans cette etude retrospective s’etendant du 1 er janvier 2005 au 31 decembre 2007. Les patients avaient ete traites par COPP/ABV. Resultats Durant la periode d’etude au total 217 cas de cancers de l’enfant ont ete diagnostiques et traites. Parmi ces cas de cancers, 7 etaient des lymphomes de Hodgkin (0,04 %). Le sex-ratio etait de 6 en faveur des garcons : 86 % contre 14 %. L’âge moyen etait de 11,71 ans avec des extremes de 6 et 15 ans. Dans 71,4 % des cas le delai de diagnostic etait compris entre 4 et 12 mois. 71,4 % des cas etaient des stades II de la classification d’Ann Arbor et 28,6 % des stades III. Histologiquement on notait : 42,8 % de formes scleronodulaires, 28,6 % de formes a predominance lymphocytaire, 14,3 % de cellularite mixte, 14,3 % de formes a depletion lymphocytaire. En Mars 2009, 71,4 % des malades etaient en remission complete, 28,6 % etaient decedes. Conclusion Avec une chimiotherapie bien conduite, le pronostic de la maladie de Hodgkin reste bon.