Ebola Outbreak Investigation Review

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the clinical diagnosis, outbreak investigation steps, and control measures for the Ebola Virus Disease based on the West Africa 2014-2016 outbreak.

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

A severe and often fatal viral disease affecting humans that spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of infected people or animals.

West Africa Ebola Outbreak (2014-2016)

The largest recorded Ebola outbreak, which mainly affected Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

RT-PCR test

The basic laboratory test used for confirming the diagnosis of Ebola virus.

Clinical symptoms of Ebola

Includes a sudden fever ($38.3^{\circ}C$ or higher), severe weakness, muscle pain, vomiting, bleeding from the nose, mouth, and rectum, skin rash, and renal failure.

Confirmed Outbreak Threshold

Because Ebola is very rare, any single confirmed case constitutes the start of an outbreak.

Case Definition (Fever)

A person having a fever of $38^{\circ}C$ or higher along with other symptoms like severe headache, vomiting, or bleeding.

Case Definition (Epidemiological)

Direct contact with a confirmed Ebola patient or travel to an affected area within the last $21$ days.

Confirmed Case

A person who has a positive laboratory test for the Ebola virus.

Population at Risk

Includes family members, healthcare workers, people in outbreak areas, and anyone exposed to blood or body fluids of infected persons or animals.

Data Analysis (Epidemiology)

Analyzing collected data by time, place, and person to calculate the attack rate and case fatality rate (CFR) to identify high-risk groups.

Case Fatality Rate (CFR)

A calculation used by epidemiologists during data analysis to understand the impact and severity of the outbreak.

Hypothesis Formulation

Developing a possible explanation for how the virus is spreading, identifying the source, and determining how people were exposed.

Contact Tracing Duration

Monitoring all close contacts of an Ebola patient for a period of $21$ days to prevent further spread.

Control Measures (Medical/Safety)

Includes immediate isolation, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), continuous disinfection, and ring vaccination.

Safe Burial Procedures

An essential control measure implemented because of the high infectious risk associated with deceased Ebola patients.

Final Report Components

Description of the first case, data on deaths and distribution, evaluation of response measures, challenges, and recommendations for future prevention.