Death toll from Ebola outbreak reaches 603, West Africa

death-toll-from-ebola-outbreak-reaches-603-west-africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to closely monitor the evolving Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The current epidemic trend in Sierra Leone and Liberia remains serious, with high numbers of new cases and deaths being reported. Between July 8 – 12, 2014, 79 new cases, and 65 deaths were reported from Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

In Sierra Leone, 49 new cases and 52 deaths have been reported, while in Liberia, 30 new cases and 13 deaths were reported. These include suspect, probable and laboratory confirmed cases. This trend indicates that a high level of transmission of the Ebola Virus continues to take place in the community.

The epidemic situation in Guinea is being closely observed, with 6 new cases and 3 deaths reported between July 8 – 12, 2014. The respective Ministries of Health are working with WHO and partners to step up outbreak containment measures.

The three affected countries, with support from WHO, have initiated the process of reviewing and updating the current EVD national response plans. This exercise will lead to the development of prioritized national operational plans, aligned to the inter-country strategy adopted by the Ministers of Health in Accra. The operational plan will clearly highlight priority interventions and map out the required resources (human, financial, and logistics) for effective implementation of the outbreak containment measures. In addition, these documents will be vital for mobilization of the additional resources. 

WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event.

Disease update

New cases and deaths attributable to EVD continue to be reported by the Ministries of Health in the three West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Between July 8 – 12, 2014, 85 new cases of EVD, including 68 new deaths, were reported from the three countries as follows: Guinea, 6 new cases and 3 deaths; Liberia, 30 new cases with 13 deaths; and Sierra Leone 49 new cases and 52 deaths. These numbers include laboratory-confirmed, probable, and suspect cases and deaths of EVD.

As of July 12, 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the three countries stands at 964, including 603 deaths. The distribution and classification of the cases are as follows: Guinea, 406 cases (297 confirmed, 92 probable, and 17 suspected) and 304 deaths (198 confirmed, 92 probable, and 14 suspected); Liberia, 172 cases (70 confirmed, 41 probable, and 61 suspected) and 105 deaths (48 confirmed, 33 probable, and 24 suspected); and Sierra Leone, 386 cases (339 confirmed, 37 probable, and 10 suspected) and 194 deaths (151 confirmed, 38 probable, and 5 suspected).

Source: WHO

Featured image: © OpenStreetMap. Tiles courtesy of Andy Allan

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *