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Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa (Update)

06 August 2014

An outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) of unprecedented scale continues to evolve in West Africa. Since March 2014, approximately 1323 confirmed and suspected cases have been reported, with 729 deaths, in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

A total of four cases have been recently reported from Nigeria one of whom has died. There are two new probable cases in Nigeria (a healthcare worker and a Nigerian who travelled to Guinea) and a new suspected case (a nurse).

(Via WHO Global Alert and Response - accessed 05/08/14)

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has now published the third updated Rapid Risk assessment on Ebola.

Risk to Travellers

Ebola is transmitted by direct contact between non-intact skin, eyes or mucous membranes and body fluids of an infected person. All body fluids may be infectious and sexual transmission can occur. It is not transmitted by skin-to-skin contact with intact skin (e.g. hand shaking).

There are currently no travel restrictions to any of the countries involved in this outbreak.

The risk of transmission of the disease to travellers is very low and can be further reduced by:

  • Avoiding contact with symptomatic patients and/or their body fluids. 
  • Avoiding contact with the bodies and/or body fluids from deceased patients. 
  • Avoiding contact with animals (including monkeys, forest antelopes, rodents and bats), both alive and dead, and consumption of ‘bush meat’.
  • Washing hands regularly, using soap or antiseptics.

Healthcare workers may be at higher risk: 

Ebola Virus Disease: information for humanitarian aid workers has been published by Public Health England.

Returning travellers / imported cases

The risk of an infected person entering the UK is very low and other diagnoses must be considered in patients presenting with fever from areas affected by Ebola.

Patients presenting with fever from malaria endemic areas are more likely to have malaria and must be tested and treated, without waiting for the results of the Ebola test. Guidance on the management of such a case is available is available at Health Protection Scotland.