C228
Task 2 C228
College of Health Professions, Western Governors University
International Outbreak
A. Select a specific outbreak that has occurred within the last 50 years that included
human to human transmission that crossed at least one international border.
• Ebola virus
B. Description of a chosen international outbreak
In December 2013, an 18mo old male was believed to be infected by Ebola. On
January
24, 2014, district health officials issued an official medical alert. By March 2014 the Ebola
virus had spread to the capital city of Guinea and the Pasteur Institute in France had confirmed
that the unidentified illness was in fact EBV caused by Zaire ebolavirus. After 49 confirmed
cases and
29 deaths, the WHO officially declared an outbreak of EVD. In July 2014, due to substandard
surveillance and lack of public health structure, the virus had spread to Liberia and Sierra
Leone, infecting heavily populated urban areas. During the duration of the epidemic, EBV
spread to 7 additional countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom; and
secondary infections had presented in healthcare settings in Italy, Nigeria, Mali, and the
United States.
On September30, 2014 the initial case of Ebola in the US was diagnosed in Dallas,
Texas. The patient died from the infection, and 2 healthcare workers that had cared for him
were
infected but recovered. There were a total number of 11 cases in the US, with 9 recovering and
2 deaths. Sierra Leone had the greatest number of total cases, with 14, 124; however, Liberia
