WHO: Ebola Situation Report – 28 January 2015
[Excerpt; Editor’s Text Bolding]
SUMMARY
:: The response to the EVD epidemic has now moved to a second phase, as the focus shifts from slowing transmission to ending the epidemic. To achieve this goal as quickly as possible, efforts have moved from rapidly building infrastructure to ensuring that capacity for case finding, case management, safe burials, and community engagement is used as effectively as possible.
:: For the first time since the week ending 29 June 2014, there have been fewer than 100 new confirmed cases reported in a week in the 3 most-affected countries. A combined total of 99 confirmed cases were reported from the 3 countries in the week to 25 January: 30 in Guinea, 4 in Liberia, and 65 in Sierra Leone.
:: Case incidence continues to fall in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Guinea reported 30 confirmed cases in the week to 25 January, up from 20 confirmed cases in the previous week.
:: The north Guinean prefecture of Mali, which borders Senegal, has reported its first confirmed case.
:: In the week to 18 January, 6 of 20 (30%) new confirmed and probable cases in Guinea arose among registered contacts. During the week to 25 January, 2 of 4 (50%) new confirmed cases in Liberia arose among known contacts. Equivalent data are not yet available for Sierra Leone. The target is for 100% of new cases to arise among known contacts, so that each and every chain of transmission can be tracked and terminated.
:: In the 21 days to 25 January, it took an average of 0.7 days in Guinea, 0.5 days in Liberia, and 0.8 days in Sierra Leone for a patient sample to go from collection through to the communication of the laboratory test result to a national ministry of health. The target is to have results within 24 hours of sample collection.
:: The case fatality rate among hospitalized cases (calculated from all hospitalized cases with a reported definitive outcome) is between 54% and 62% in the 3 intense-transmission countries, with no indication of an improvement over time.
:: All health care facilities in the 3 most-affected countries are assessed for their compliance with minimum standards of infection prevention and control (IPC), with the aim that 100% of facilities meet such standards. Data will soon be available on the proportion of health facilities that meet minimum IPC standards.
:: A total of 816 confirmed health worker infections have been reported in the 3 intense-transmission countries; there have been 488 reported deaths. Neither Guinea nor Sierra Leone reported a health worker infection in the week to 25 January. Liberia reported 2 health worker infections during the same period, compared with 0 cases the previous week.
:: A total of 27 sub-prefectures in Guinea reported at least one security incident or other form of refusal to cooperate in the week to 21 January. A total of 2 districts in Liberia and 4 districts in Sierra Leone reported at least one similar incident during the same reporting period.

COUNTRIES WITH WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE TRANSMISSION
:: There have been in excess of 22,000 reported confirmed, probable, and suspected cases (Annex 1) of EVD in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone (table 1), with almost 8800 deaths (outcomes for many cases are unknown). A total of 30 new confirmed cases were reported in Guinea, 4 in Liberia, and 65 in Sierra Leone in the 7 days to 25 January.
:: A stratified analysis of cumulative confirmed and probable cases indicates that the number of cases in males and females is similar (table 2). Compared with children (people aged 14 years and under), people aged 15 to 44 are approximately three times more likely to be affected. :: People aged 45 and over are almost four times more likely to be affected than are children.
A total of 816 confirmed health worker infections have been reported in the 3 intense-transmission countries; there have been 488 reported deaths…