Dear Colleagues,
As of 14 December the death toll from the EVD epidemic has risen to 6,915. A total of 18,603 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of the virus have been reported. Rates of infection are still highest in Sierra Leone, which now accounts for more than half of the confirmed cases in the outbreak. Though, according to WHO there are signs that the increase in incidence has slowed in the country. Reported case incidence is fluctuating in Guinea and decreasing in Liberia.
More than half of new infections in Sierra Leone are occurring in Freetown and its surrounding areas. In response, operation “Western Area Surge” has been launched to curb the spread of disease. A door-to-door campaign started yesterday, with teams advising the population and searching for those infected with EVD. The operation is planned to last until December 31. Travel between all parts of the country has been restricted as part of the operation and public gatherings will be strictly controlled in during the upcoming holidays. Guinea's capital Conakry has also banned public Christmas and New Year celebrations to combat the spread of the Ebola virus.
Ebola response interventions continue to progress. At a national level, there is sufficient bed capacity in EVD treatment facilities to treat and isolate all reported EVD cases in each of the three countries. However, uneven distribution of beds and cases means severe deficits persist in some areas.
Mali has released from quarantine the last 13 people being monitored for Ebola. The country could be declared free of the virus next month if no further cases are recorded. The United States is nearing the end of the 42-day period required to be declared free of the virus.
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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