How Ebola Spreads & the Response From Public Health Officials

HOW EBOLA SPREADS AND THE RESPONSE FROM PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS Ebola...it's arguably one of the most prominent international health crises in 2014. While the Ebola virus outbreak is plaguing West Africa, it's gained much attention in the U.S., particularly after reports surfaced that American aid workers infected by Ebola returned to the United States for treatment and the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S., Thomas Eric Duncan, died October 8. Discover how Ebola spreads and what public health officials are doing to contain it. EBOLA:WHAT IS IT? Highly deadly, hemorrhagic fever virus resulting in a systemic viral infection throughout the body. Believed that fruit bats inhabiting West African forests are natural hosts for the virus. Virus first attacks white blood cells, then infiltrates nearly every type of cell in the body. WHAT ARE ITS SYMPTOMS? EARLY SYMPTOMS Fever Headaches Muscle fatigue WORSENING SYMPTOMS Bloody Severe sore Jaundice Vomiting Loss of diarrhea throat appetite FATAL SYMPTOMS Rapid blood pressure drop Uncontrollable Organ failure Eventual death bleeding 1 cm AT THE TIME OF DEATH, A PERSON CAN HAVE 1 BILLION COPIES OF THẾ VIRUS IN 1 CUBIC CENTIMETER OF BLOOD. The case-fatality rate ranges from No licensed vaccines 25-90%, are available for Ebola. depending on the strain. 15 21 People who may have had contact with Ebola patients must be monitored for symptoms for 21 days. HOW IS IT SPREAD? Ebola requires contact with an infected person or their bodily fluids for transmission, including: Blood Infected organs Bodily secretions (saliva, fluids, etc.) Surfaces and materials contaminated with blood or bodily fluids (clothing, bedding, etc.) Contact with infected animals can also be a source of transmission. Chimpanzees Gorillas Fruit bats Porcupines Forest antelope HOW ARE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS RESPONDING? IN THE TOWNS EBOLA Nurses and health-care workers are delivering health-education flyers and making public health announcements to people in the Signs with common symptoms of Ebola are being displayed in areas with heavy foot traffic. streets of West African towns about Ebola detection, treatment, and prevention. AT THE AIRPORTS 120 101.5 60 40 -20 -40 Exit health screenings have been If a person has a fever greater than 101.5 degrees F. or is believed to be ill, the passenger is given a more detailed health instituted at airports in affected West African countries. assessment. AT THE HEART OF THE CRISIS Large scale international efforts focused on: Increasing numbers of "boots-to-grbund" Increasing availability of personal protective equipment. Increasing numbers of Ebola treatment health-care workers. facilities. Increasing higher-level medical care facilities to treat health-care Placing safe burial teams in communities to properly bury corpses. workers who become ill. EBOLA AND THE BIG PICTURE: STRENGTHENING HEALTH SYSTEMS FOR EFFECTIVE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 More than 3,000 deathS (as of October 4, 2014) estimated from 2014 Ebola outbreak. WEAK HEALTH SYSTEMS Contributing factors include: Close to personal protection equipment and infection control. The lack of much-needed 400 = 100 health workers among the West African workforce have Insufficient supply of contracted Ebola. trained health workers. Few safe sterile isolation units. More than 200 Affected countries' health systems are struggling to have died due to hospitals serving as "amplification points" for the provide basic health services to people alongside the major outbreak. = 100 spread and transmission of Ebola. WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED? Sufficient resources are needed for strengthening health systems in affected countries and communities to respond to day-to-day population needs as well as prevent and control pandemics such as Ebola. Sources www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/index.html www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/ www.npr.org/2014/09/14/348412167/usaid-steps-up-building-of-new-ebola-treatment-units, www.law.georgetown.edu/oneillinstitute/resources/documents/Briefing10Ebola2inTemplate.pdf www.newshour-tc.pbs.org/newshour/extra/wp-contént/uploads/sites/2/2014/09/This-is-how-you-get-Ebola-Informational-Text.pdf www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/10/06/fact-sheet-us-response-ebola-epidemic-west-africa www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/ebola-outbreak/ [3:00-4:12 in video] www.doctorswithoutborders.org/our-work/medical-issues/èbola www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-stricken-u-s-doctor-in-stable-condition/ www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/texas-ebola-patient-thomas-eric-duncan-has-died-hospital-says-n221141 www.cdc.gov/media/dpk/2014/dpk-ebola-outbreak.html OF SOUTHER USCUniversity of Southern California 1880 mphdegree.usc.edu