scholarly journals Chainchecker: An application to visualise and explore transmission chains for Ebola virus disease

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0247002
Author(s):  
Katy Gaythorpe ◽  
Aaron Morris ◽  
Natsuko Imai ◽  
Miles Stewart ◽  
Jeffrey Freeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Data Entry ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Link Type ◽  
R Shiny ◽  
Exposure Windows ◽  
Shiny Application

2020 saw the continuation of the second largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history. Determining epidemiological links between cases is a key part of outbreak control. However, due to the large quantity of data and subsequent data entry errors, inconsistencies in potential epidemiological links are difficult to identify. We present chainchecker, an online and offline shiny application which visualises, curates and verifies transmission chain data. The application includes the calculation of exposure windows for individual cases of EVD based on user defined incubation periods and user specified symptom profiles. It has an upload function for viral hemorrhagic fever data and utility for additional entries. This data may then be visualised as a transmission tree with inconsistent links highlighted. Finally, there is utility for cluster analysis and the ability to highlight nosocomial transmission. chainchecker is a R shiny application which has an offline version for use with VHF (viral hemorrhagic fever) databases or linelists. The software is available at https://shiny.dide.imperial.ac.uk/chainchecker which is a web-based application that links to the desktop application available for download and the github repository, https://github.com/imperialebola2018/chainchecker.

scholarly journals Ocular Manifestations of Ebola Virus Disease: An Ophthalmologist’s Guide to Prevent Infection and Panic

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enzo Maria Vingolo ◽  
Giuseppe Alessio Messano ◽  
Serena Fragiotta ◽  
Leopoldo Spadea ◽  
Stefano Petti
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Ocular Manifestations ◽  
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Moment

Ebola virus disease (EVD—formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) is a severe hemorrhagic fever caused by lipid-enveloped, nonsegmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the genusEbolavirus. Case fatality rates may reach up to 76% of infected individuals, making this infection a deadly health problem in the sub-Saharan population. At the moment, there are still no indications on ophthalmological clinical signs and security suggestions for healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses or cooperative persons). This paper provides a short but complete guide to reduce infection risks.

scholarly journals IN VITRO DIAGNOSIS FOR EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE. A COMPARISON OF CURRENT TECHNIQUES AND DIAGNOSTIC ASSAYS

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-116
Author(s):  
A. O. Sementsova ◽  
V. G. Dedkov ◽  
V. A. Ternovoy ◽  
E. V. Chub ◽  
S. A. Pyankov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Multiple Organ ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Diagnostic Assays ◽  
Natural Foci ◽  
Forested Areas

Ebola virus disease is dangerous viral infection, occurring in the form of hemorrhagic fever, characterized by acute clinical symptoms and high mortality rate due to multiple organ failure. Ebola virus natural foci are located in forested areas of the central and western parts of Africa. It was believed for many years, the incidence of Ebola virus disease has been sporadic and the burden of it is true only in endemic areas. However, the unprecedented Ebola epidemic caused by Zaire virus in 2013 — 2016, has significantly changed our understanding of this disease and the patterns of its distribution. We have also identified weaknesses in the organization of anti-epidemic measures, the effectiveness of which was not very effective at the onset of the epidemic, in particular due to weak development of in vitro diagnostics (IVD). However, during the elimination of the epidemic in West Africa, anti-epidemic system has been modified substantially, largely due to quickly developed IVD kits. This review is devoted to analysis of trends in IVD for Ebola virus disease based on the experience obtained in the course of the West-African epidemic in 2013 — 2016.

scholarly journals Emergence of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD): Key Facts

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-37
Author(s):  
Md Mahfuzar Rahman ◽  
Farnaz Mehrin ◽  
Fahim Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Global Threat

The modern emerging infection Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is of global threat originates from Africa region. This is zoonotic and identified as human diseases or previously called Ebola hemorrhagic fever which is a highly fatal human illness where case fatality rate is found up to 90%. The virus transmission begins from wild animals to human and then spreads within population through human to human. Fruit bats are found as natural host of Ebola virus. There is no specific treatment or vaccine available in the market so far, intensive supportive care is needed for severely ill patients. This paper highlights background information, problem statement, viral characteristics, mode of transmission, signs and symptoms, prevention & vaccination. It also indicates possible actions towards prevention of transmission & personal protection.Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal Vol. 6, No. 1: January 2015, Pages 35-37

Letter-to-Editor II

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
Ayush Agarwal ◽  
Omkar Singh ◽  
VK Rastogi
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

ABSTRACT • Ebola virus disease (EVD), also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness of human beings having a case fatality rate of up to 90%. • Ebola virus disease outbreaks occur primarily in remote Central and West Africa, near the tropical rainforests. • The virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals and spreads in the human beings through physical contact. • It does not transmit through vectors or air-borne droplets. • Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. No specific treatment or vaccine is available for use.

scholarly journals An Overview of Ebola Virus Disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-54
Author(s):  
Nazia Haque ◽  
Md Shafikul Bari ◽  
Md Akram Hossain ◽  
Shakila Haque ◽  
Taslima Yasmin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Central Nervous System Involvement ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Oral Rehydration Therapy ◽  
Sudden Onset ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Oral Rehydration ◽  
Risk Of Death

Ebola virus is an aggressive pathogen that causes a highly lethal hemorrhagic fever syndrome in humans and nonhuman primates. Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is characterized by the sudden onset of fever and malaise accompanied by other nonspecific signs and symptoms such as myalgia, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea. Among EVD patients, 30%-50% experience hemorrhagic symptoms. In severe and fatal forms, multi organ dysfunction including hepatic damage, renal failure, and central nervous system involvement occur, leading to shock and death. The wildlife reservoir has not been definitively ascertained; however evidence supports fruit bats as one reservoir. The virus initially spreads to the human population after contact with infected wildlife and is then spread person-to-person through direct contact with body fluids. The incubation period is 2-21 days. Prevention includes decreasing the spread of disease from infected animals humans. Properly cooking meat and wearing protective clothing when handling meat may also be helpful. Samples of bodily fluids and tissues from people with the disease should be handled with special caution. There is currently no antiviral therapy or vaccine that is effective against Ebola virus infection in humans. Efforts to help those who are infected are supportive and include giving either oral rehydration therapy or intravenous fluids. The disease has a high risk of death, mortality between 50% and 90% of those infected with the virus. CBMJ 2016 January: Vol. 05 No. 01 P: 50-54

scholarly journals Rapid establishment of a frontline field laboratory in response to an imported outbreak of Ebola virus disease in western Uganda, June 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0009967
Author(s):  
Amy J. Schuh ◽  
Jackson Kyondo ◽  
James Graziano ◽  
Stephen Balinandi ◽  
Markus H. Kainulainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
World Health ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Field Laboratory

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu in August 2018. By June 2019, the outbreak had spread to 26 health zones in northeastern DRC, causing >2,000 reported cases and >1,000 deaths. On June 10, 2019, three members of a Congolese family with EVD-like symptoms traveled to western Uganda’s Kasese District to seek medical care. Shortly thereafter, the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Surveillance and Laboratory Program (VHF program) at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) confirmed that all three patients had EVD. The Ugandan Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of EVD in Uganda’s Kasese District, notified the World Health Organization, and initiated a rapid response to contain the outbreak. As part of this response, UVRI and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the support of Uganda’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center, the Kasese District Health Team, the Superintendent of Bwera General Hospital, the United States Department of Defense’s Makerere University Walter Reed Project, and the United States Mission to Kampala’s Global Health Security Technical Working Group, jointly established an Ebola Field Laboratory in Kasese District at Bwera General Hospital, proximal to an Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU). The laboratory consisted of a rapid containment kit for viral inactivation of patient specimens and a GeneXpert Instrument for performing Xpert Ebola assays. Laboratory staff tested 76 specimens from alert and suspect cases of EVD; the majority were admitted to the ETU (89.3%) and reported recent travel to the DRC (58.9%). Although no EVD cases were detected by the field laboratory, it played an important role in patient management and epidemiological surveillance by providing diagnostic results in <3 hours. The integration of the field laboratory into Uganda’s National VHF Program also enabled patient specimens to be referred to Entebbe for confirmatory EBOV testing and testing for other hemorrhagic fever viruses that circulate in Uganda.

Institutional policies and readiness in management of critical illness among patients with viral hemorrhagic fever

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Madeline A. DiLorenzo ◽  
Christoph A. Baker ◽  
Jocelyn J. Herstein ◽  
Laura Evans ◽  
John J. Lowe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Alternative Technologies ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Care Policies ◽  
Us Government

Abstract Objective: In response to the 2013–2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak, the US government designated certain healthcare institutions as Ebola treatment centers (ETCs) to better prepare for future emerging infectious disease outbreaks. This study investigated ETC experiences and critical care policies for patients with viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF). Design: A 58-item questionnaire elicited information on policies for 9 critical care interventions, factors that limited care provision, and innovations developed to deliver care. Setting and participants: The questionnaire was sent to 82 ETCs. Methods: We analyzed ordinal and categorical data pertaining to the ETC characteristics and descriptive data about their policies and perceived challenges. Statistical analyses assessed whether ETCs with experience caring for VHF patients were more likely to have critical care policies than those that did not. Results: Of the 27 ETCs who responded, 17 (63%) were included. Among them, 8 (47%) reported experience caring for persons under investigation or confirmed cases of VHF. Most felt ready to provide intubation, chest compressions, and renal replacement therapy to these patients. The factors most cited for limiting care were staff safety and clinical futility. Innovations developed to better provide care included increased simulation training and alternative technologies for procedures and communication. Conclusions: There were broad similarities in critical care policies and limitations among institutions. There were several interventions, namely ECMO and cricothyrotomy, which few institutions felt ready to provide. Future studies could identify obstacles to providing these interventions and explore policy changes after increased experience with novel infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.

scholarly journals The Cytokine Response Profile of Ebola Virus Disease in a Large Cohort of Rhesus Macaques Treated With Monoclonal Antibodies

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Logan Banadyga ◽  
Vinayakumar Siragam ◽  
Wenjun Zhu ◽  
Shihua He ◽  
Keding Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Antibody Treatment ◽  
Highly Pathogenic ◽  
Cytokine Levels ◽  
Response Profile

Abstract Ebola virus (EBOV) is a highly pathogenic filovirus that causes outbreaks of a severe hemorrhagic fever known as EBOV disease (EVD). Ebola virus disease is characterized in part by a dysregulated immune response and massive production of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. To better understand the immune response elicited by EVD in the context of treatment with experimental anti-EBOV antibody cocktails, we analyzed 29 cytokines in 42 EBOV-infected rhesus macaques. In comparison to the surviving treated animals, which exhibited minimal aberrations in only a few cytokine levels, nonsurviving animals exhibited a dramatically upregulated inflammatory response that was delayed by antibody treatment.

scholarly journals Assessing the Concepts and Designs of 58 Mobile Apps for the Management of the 2014-2015 West Africa Ebola Outbreak: Systematic Review (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Tom-Aba ◽  
Patrick Mboya Nguku ◽  
Chinedu Chukwujekwu Arinze ◽  
Gerard Krause
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Outbreak Response

BACKGROUND The use of mobile phone information technology (IT) in the health sector has received much attention especially during the 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak. mHealth can be attributed to a major improvement in EVD control, but there lacks an overview of what kinds of tools were available and used based on the functionalities they offer. OBJECTIVE We aimed to conduct a systematic review of mHealth tools in the context of the recent EVD outbreak to identify the most promising approaches and guide further mHealth developments for infectious disease control. METHODS Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we searched for all reports on mHealth tools developed in the context of the 2014-2015 EVD outbreak published between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015 on Google Scholar, MEDLINE, CAB Abstracts (Global Health), POPLINE, and Web of Science in any language using the search strategy: (“outbreak” OR “epidemic”) AND (“mobile phone” OR “smartphone” OR “smart phone” OR “mobile phone” OR “tablet” OR “mHealth”) AND (“Ebola” OR ”EVD” OR “VHF” OR “Ebola virus disease” OR “viral hemorrhagic fever”) AND (“2014” OR “2015”). The relevant publications were selected by 2 independent reviewers who applied a standardized data extraction form on the tools’ functionalities. RESULTS We identified 1220 publications through the search strategy, of which 6.31% (77/1220) were original publications reporting on 58 specific mHealth tools in the context of the EVD outbreak. Of these, 62% (34/55) offered functionalities for surveillance, 22% (10/45) for case management, 18% (7/38) for contact tracing, and 6% (3/51) for laboratory data management. Only 3 tools, namely Community Care, Sense Ebola Followup, and Surveillance and Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System supported all four of these functionalities. CONCLUSIONS Among the 58 identified tools related to EVD management in 2014 and 2015, only 3 appeared to contain all 4 key functionalities relevant for the response to EVD outbreaks and may be most promising for further development.

scholarly journals Development and implementation of the Ebola Exposure Window Calculator: A tool for Ebola virus disease outbreak field investigations

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255631
Author(s):  
Amy Whitesell ◽  
Nirma D. Bustamante ◽  
Miles Stewart ◽  
Jeff Freeman ◽  
Amber M. Dismer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Field Application ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Exposure Windows

During an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, calculating the exposure window of a confirmed case can assist field investigators in identifying the source of infection and establishing chains of transmission. However, field investigators often have difficulty calculating this window. We developed a bilingual (English/French), smartphone-based field application to assist field investigators in determining the exposure window of an EVD case. The calculator only requires the reported date of symptoms onset and the type of symptoms present at onset or the date of death. Prior to the release of this application, there was no similar electronic capability to enable consistent calculation of EVD exposure windows for field investigators. The Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Health endorsed the application and incorporated it into trainings for field staff. Available for Apple and Android devices, the calculator continues to be downloaded even as the eastern DRC outbreak resolved. We rapidly developed and implemented a smartphone application to estimate the exposure window for EVD cases in an outbreak setting

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