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Dembek Z, Hadeed S, Tigabu B, Schwartz-Watjen K, Glass M, Dressner M, Frankel D, Blaney D, Eccles Iii TG, Chekol T, Owens A, Wu A. Ebola Virus Disease Outbreaks: Lessons Learned From Past and Facing Future Challenges. Mil Med 2024; 189:e1470-e1478. [PMID: 38743575 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usae204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The purpose of this review is to examine African Ebola outbreaks from their first discovery to the present, to determine how the medical and public health response has changed and identify the causes for those changes. We sought to describe what is now known about the epidemiology and spread of Ebola virus disease (EVD) from the significant outbreaks that have occurred and outbreak control methods applied under often challenging circumstances. Given the substantial role that the U.S. Government and the U.S. DoD have played in the 2014 to 2016 West African Ebola outbreak, the role of the DoD and the U.S. Africa Command in controlling EVD is described. MATERIALS AND METHODS A descriptive method design was used to collect and analyze all available Ebola outbreak literature using the PubMed database. An initial literature search was conducted by searching for, obtaining, and reading original source articles on all major global Ebola outbreaks. To conduct a focused search, we used initial search terms "Ebola outbreak," "Ebola virus disease," "Ebola response," "Ebola countermeasures," and also included each country's name where Ebola cases are known to have occurred. From the 4,673 unique articles obtained from this search and subsequent article title review, 307 articles were identified for potential inclusion. Following abstract and article review, 45 original source articles were used to compile the history of significant Ebola outbreaks. From this compilation, articles focused on each respective subsection of this review to delineate and describe the history of EVD and response, identifying fundamental changes, were obtained and incorporated. RESULTS We present known Ebola virus and disease attributes, including a general description, seasonality and location, transmission capacity, clinical symptoms, surveillance, virology, historical EVD outbreaks and response, international support for Ebola outbreak response, U.S. DoD support, medical countermeasures supporting outbreak response, remaining gaps to include policy limitations, regional instability, climate change, migration, and urbanization, public health education and infrastructure, and virus persistence and public awareness. CONCLUSIONS The health and societal impacts of EVD on Africa has been far-reaching, with about 35,000 cases and over 15,000 deaths, with small numbers of cases spreading globally. However, the history of combatting EVD reveals that there is considerable hope for African nations to quickly and successfully respond to Ebola outbreaks, through use of endemic resources including Africa CDC and African Partner Outbreak Response Alliance and the U.S. Africa Command with greater DoD reachback. Although there remains much to be learned about the Ebola virus and EVD including whether the potential for novel strains to become deadly emerging infections, invaluable vaccines, antivirals, and public health measures are now part of the resources that can be used to combat this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zygmunt Dembek
- Support to DTRA Technical Reachback, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH 43201, USA
| | - Steven Hadeed
- Support to DTRA Technical Reachback, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH 43201, USA
| | - Bersabeh Tigabu
- Support to DTRA Technical Reachback, Global Systems Engineering (GSE), Alexandria, VA 22312, USA
| | - Kierstyn Schwartz-Watjen
- Support to DTRA Technical Reachback, Applied Research Associates (ARA), Albuquerque, NM 87110, USA
| | - Michael Glass
- SME Support to DTRA Technical Reachback, Manta Solutions, Charlottesville, VA 22901, USA
| | - Michelle Dressner
- Office of the Command Surgeon, U.S. Africa Command, APO, AE 09751, USA
| | - Dianne Frankel
- Office of the Command Surgeon, U.S. Africa Command, APO, AE 09751, USA
| | - David Blaney
- Office of the Command Surgeon, U.S. Africa Command, APO, AE 09751, USA
- Office of Readiness and Response, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | | | - Tesema Chekol
- Support to DTRA Technical Reachback, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH 43201, USA
| | - Akeisha Owens
- Technical Reachback, Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, USA
| | - Aiguo Wu
- Technical Reachback, Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, USA
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Warsame A, Eamer G, Kai A, Dios LR, Rohan H, Keating P, Katshishi J, Checchi F. Performance of a safe and dignified burial intervention during an Ebola epidemic in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018-2019. BMC Med 2023; 21:484. [PMID: 38049815 PMCID: PMC10696665 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03194-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A protracted Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic in the eastern Ituri, North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) caused 3470 confirmed and probable cases between July 2018 and April 2020. During the epidemic, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) supported the DRC Red Cross and other local actors to offer safe and dignified burials (SDB) for suspected and confirmed EVD cases, so as to reduce transmission associated with infectious dead bodies. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of the SDB service's performance in order to inform future applications of this intervention. METHODS We analysed data on individual SDB responses to quantify performance based on key indicators and against pre-specified service standards. Specifically, we defined SDB timeliness as response within 24 h and success as all components of the service being implemented. Combining the database with other information sources, we also fit generalised linear mixed binomial models to explore factors associated with unsuccessful SDB. RESULTS Out of 14,624 requests for SDB, 99% were responded to, 89% within 24 h. Overall, 61% of SDBs were successful, somewhat below target (80%), with failures clustered during a high-insecurity period. Factors associated with increased odds of unsuccessful SDB included reported community and/or family nonacceptance, insecurity and suspensions of the EVD response, low health facility coverage and high coverage of radio and telephony. Burials supported by mobile Civil Protection (local authorities) and/or static, community-based 'harm reduction' teams were associated with lower odds of failure. CONCLUSIONS A large-scale, timely and moderately performant SDB service proved feasible during the challenging eastern DRC EVD response. Burial teams that are managed by community actors and operate locally, and supported rather than owned by the Red Cross or other humanitarian organisations, are a promising modality of delivering this pillar of EVD control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdihamid Warsame
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Gwendolen Eamer
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alaria Kai
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Lucia Robles Dios
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hana Rohan
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Patrick Keating
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- UK Public Health Rapid Support Team, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jacques Katshishi
- Red Cross Society of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Francesco Checchi
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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