Dear Colleagues,
According to WHO the toll in the Ebola epidemic has risen to 6,388 deaths out of 17,942 cases as of 7 December. The spread of the disease is principally being fueled by new infections in Sierra Leone. This reporting period, 397 new confirmed cases were recorded in the country - three times the combined total in Guinea and Liberia. Sierra Leone is purportedly counting anywhere from 80-100 new cases per day and the overall number of cases in the country has overtaken the number in Liberia.
Health officials in Sierra Leone attribute 70 percent of new infections to unsafe burials. In an effort to curb the surge in cases, the government is now threatening jail time for anyone performing a traditional burial ritual, or hiding the body of an Ebola victim. Authorities have also announced a two-week lockdown of the country's eastern Kono district, after the discovery of a new Ebola hotspot there on 10 December.
Although contact tracing remains challenging in areas of intense transmission and in areas of community resistance, all three countries report that more than 80% of registered contacts associated with known cases of EVD are being traced. Experts caution that despite concentrated efforts, the virus will continue to spread because not all Ebola patients are being properly isolated and treated. The Red Cross also warns of a possible rise in the rate of Ebola infections in West Africa as people travel across the region during the holidays.
There have been no new reported EVD cases in the United States or Mali. In the U.S., all contacts have completed the 21-day follow-up period. Authorities in Mali continue to monitor 227 contacts.
Please email David Rolph, our director of Global Security, david_rolph@abtassoc.com and cc Sarah Dedic, sarah_dedic@abtassoc.com with any questions you have about the status of the outbreak.
Best,
Jay
Jay L. Knott | Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer | Abt Associates
O: 301-347-5896| F: 301-828-9739 | www.abtassociates.com
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