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Running head: C228 TASK 2 1 C C228 Task 2 Western Governors University Community Outbreak The Ebola virus, formerly known as the Ebola Haemorragic Fever, is a rare but serious disease that with roughly a 50% fatality rate. This disease has occasional outbreaks primarily in Africa and is thought to be originally transferred to humans by possibly bats or primates, and then human to human interaction. It was first discovered near the Ebola River, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 1976. It is transmitted human to human by direct contact with the infected persons blood or bodily fluid (What is Ebola Virus Disease? 2019). Description of the Outbreak Since its discovery in 1976, the CDC has documented 28 Ebola outbreaks. Most of these outbreaks have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is where the disease was first discovered (Ebola Virus Disease Distribution Map, 2019). The outbreak that made this disease known worldwide however, is the 2014- outbreak that affected multiple countries. This was the largest Ebola outbreak in history, which caused 11,310 deaths within the 28,616 confirmed cases. The outbreak affected many countries such as Africa, the United States, and Europe. However, the countries that sustained the greatest impact of this outbreak was Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia, which was the epicenter. This outbreak was first reported to WHO on March 25, 2014 with 86 total cases in Guinea and 59 deaths that day. The next country, Liberia, had its first discovered outbreak on March 27, 2014, which had 8 total cases and 6 deaths that day. The third primary country affected, Sierra Leone,
had its first outbreak announcement to WHO on the same day March 27, 2014 with 6 total cases and 5 deaths that day. This outbreak lasted until WHO’s last reported day for all three countries, which was April 13, 2016. On this day, it was reported that in Guinea the total cases were 3, and had 2,544 total deaths. In Liberia, the total number of cases on that day was 10,678 and had 4810 deaths. Finally, Sierra Leone reported 14,124 total cases and had 3956 deaths. Overall, this outbreak caused 28,616 total cases in these three countries and 11,310 deaths, again making this the largest Ebola outbreak in history (Case Counts, 2020). Epidemiological Determinants and Risk Factors As previously stated above, the route of transmission of Ebola is with direct contact of the infected persons bodily fluids. Examples of obtaining infection through direct contact include by having an open area on the skin, or through mucous membranes in the nose, eyes, or mouth. It was also thought by scientists to be originally transmitted to a human by either a fruit bat or non- human primate. The spread of the virus can be controlled by reducing contact with infected animals and their meat and blood products (Ebola virus disease, 2020). Ebola can also spread quickly in the healthcare setting. Health care workers are at high risk for infection if not properly protected. According to the CDC, “Health workers who do not use proper infection control while caring for Ebola patients, and family and friends in close contact with infected blood or body fluids” (para 9). The virus can remain alive on surfaces for several hours and can survive for up to several days in body fluids at room temperature. Pregnant women who are infected with Ebola can also carry over the disease to the baby via breastmilk, even if the woman has recovered (Ebola virus disease, 2020). Ebola has an incubation period between 2 to 21 days, and during that time the infected person cannot spread the disease. They can however, start spreading the disease as soon as they
June 2014 and did not reopen until 2015. Also, it is estimated that more than 17,300 children had been orphaned in those countries due to parent death (The Cost of the Ebola Epidemic, 2019). If an Ebola Virus outbreak were to happen in my local community in Florida, the following steps are in place to contain the disease as much as possible. The Florida Department of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Health collaborate to ensure the safety of the entire population of Florida. If an Ebola outbreak were to occur, the Division of Emergency Management will have activated the state’s Joint Information Center. This would then allow state and city officials to share accurate and timely data with the public. The county Health Department is prevalent in all of Florida’s 67 counties, and provides regular communication with hospitals, medical professionals, and lab workers to ensure appropriate patient reporting and identification of the infected persons. Once a person has been confirmed positive with Ebola, the Florida Department of Health will initiate protocols such as appropriate patient isolation, testing, and conduct risk assessments to notify and other citizens who had contact with the infected patient, and take overall appropriate actions to prevent further spread of the Ebola Virus (State of Florida Actions, 2018). Reporting Protocol Early recognition of a patient infected with Ebola is vital. A patient’s signs and symptoms are not specific to Ebola, so it is important to always be aware of the possibility for and Ebola infection. If a patient has a fever greater than 100.4, headache, or muscle pain, the healthcare team should ask the patient if they have traveled to a high-risk country or have been in contact with someone infected with Ebola in the last 21 days. Since Ebola has a 21-day incubation period, it is common for a patient to not experience symptoms until after that period has ended. If the patient has had potential exposure, the healthcare team must isolate the patient
in a room with contact and droplet precautions while diagnostic tests are performed on the patient. Healthcare workers should follow contact and droplet protocol and wear appropriate PPE to prevent spreading the infection to themselves of others. The healthcare worker should contact the infection control personnel immediately to continue the protocol for reporting the virus. The infection control personal in your facility will the notify the local or state health department, as well as the CDC, to report the case. The local or state health department will determine the next steps with testing and if the patient needs to be transported to a facility that can provide appropriate care. They will also make sure that everyone who came into contact with the suspected person is located and tested as well (Ebola Virus, 2020). Two Strategies to Prevent an Outbreak in My Community The first major preventative strategy for infection control is proper handwashing. Frequent and proper handwashing habits can help control the spread of many viruses and diseases, including Ebola. Always use soap and water when available, and hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available. Dry surfaces should also be cleaned with hospital-grade antiseptics. In the healthcare setting, the use of proper sterilization of equipment and disposal of soiled linens and clothes is important as well (Ebola virus disease 2020). The second preventative strategy to control Ebola is vaccination. There is a vaccine in trial phases for the Ebola virus with some impressive results. According to WHO, an experimental Ebola vaccine has been created in 2015. This vaccine was first trialed in Guinea. WHO states, “the vaccine, called rVSV-ZEBOV, was studied in a trial involving 11,841 people. Among the 5837 people who received the vaccine, no Ebola cases were recorded after 10 days or more after vaccination. In comparison, there were 23 cases 10 days or more after vaccination among those who did not receive the vaccine” (para 26, Ebola virus disease, 2020).
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