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Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone--23 May 2014 to 31 January 2015.
- Source :
-
Clinical Infectious Diseases . 12/1/2015, Vol. 61 Issue 11, p1648-1654. 7p. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Background: Sierra Leone has the most cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) ever reported. Trends in laboratoryconfirmed EVD, symptom presentation, and risk factors have not been fully described. Methods: EVD cases occurring from 23 May 2014 to 31 January 2015 are presented by geography, demographics, and risk factors for all persons who had laboratory-confirmed EVD, which was identified by Ebola virus-specific reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction-based testing. Results: During the study period, 8056 persons had laboratory-confirmed EVD. Their median age was 28 years; 51.7% were female. Common symptoms included fever (90.4%), fatigue (88.3%), loss of appetite (87.0%), headache (77.9%), joint pain (73.7%), vomiting (71.2%), and diarrhea (70.6%). Among persons with confirmed cases, 47.9% reported having had contact with someone with suspected EVD or any sick person, and 25.5% reported having attended a funeral, of whom 66.2% reported touching the body. The incidence of EVD was highest during 1-30 November 2014, at 7.5 per 100 000 population per week, and decreased to 2.1 per week during 1-31 January 2015. Between 23 May and 30 August 2014, two districts had the highest incidence of 3.8 and 7.0 per 100 000 population per week which decreased >97% by 1-31 January 2015. In comparison, the districts that include the capital city reported a 10-fold increase in incidence per week during the same time periods. Conclusions: Almost half of patients with EVD in Sierra Leone reported physical contact with a person ill with EVD or a dead body, highlighting prevention opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10584838
- Volume :
- 61
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Clinical Infectious Diseases
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 110969911
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/civ568