DHS National Biosurveillance Integration Center Ebola Update October 1, 2014

National Biosurveillance Integration Center Ebola virus in West Africa

22 pages
October 1, 2014

On 8 August, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing epidemic of Ebola virus to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). According to the WHO, regional health authorities in western Africa have reported 7,178 cases of Ebola virus disease with 3,338 deaths to the WHO since the outbreak was first recognized in March 2014. On 30 September 2014, The U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) announced that an unidentified man, who is receiving treatment at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas, has been diagnosed with Ebola virus. All previous cases associated with the U.S. were diagnosed in West Africa. One patient died while in Nigeria, and four were diagnosed in West Africa before traveling to the U.S. for treatment. Of these four, three have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital, while the fourth remains hospitalized. This newly identified case developed symptoms in the U.S. and was not symptomatic, and therefore not infectious, while traveling from Liberia. He is currently hospitalized and contacts are being traced, including one who has been identified by media source as a possible second case. The CDC believes the U.S. clinical and public health systems will work effectively to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus and the ongoing EVD outbreak in West Africa is unlikely to affect public health in the U.S. significantly.

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EVENT FEATURES

On 30 September 2014, the CDC announced that an unidentified man, who is receiving medical treatment at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas, has been diagnosed with Ebola virus. This is the first EVD diagnosis performed in the U.S. The patient had returned from Liberia on 19 September and arrived in the U.S. on 20 September 2014. The traveler develop symptoms on 24 September, sought medical care on 26 September, and was admitted to the hospital and placed in isolation on 28 September.

Individuals infected with Ebola are not infectious until they develop symptoms. This patient developed symptoms in the U.S. and therefore, was not infectious, while traveling from Liberia into Dallas, Texas. He is currently hospitalized and contacts being traced, including one who has been identified by media source as a possible second case. His nationality has not been made public.

This is the sixth person closely associated with the U.S. to be diagnosed with Ebola virus. All previous such cases were diagnosed in West Africa. One case died while in Nigeria. The remaining four were diagnosed in West Africa before traveling to the U.S. for treatment. Of these four, three have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital and the fourth remains hospitalized.

The WHO indicates that regional health authorities in West Africa have reported (as of 1 October 2014) 7,178 cases of Ebola virus disease with 3,338 deaths since the outbreak was first recognized in March 2014.