Tackling emerging infections: clinical and public health lessons from the West African Ebola virus disease outbreak, 2014-2015

Naomi F Walker; Christopher Jm Whitty

doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.15-5-457

Tackling emerging infections: clinical and public health lessons from the West African Ebola virus disease outbreak, 2014-2015

Clin Med (Lond). 2015 Oct;15(5):457-60. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.15-5-457.

Authors

Naomi F Walker¹, Christopher Jm Whitty²

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. n.walker@imperial.ac.uk
² Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Abstract

The magnitude of the 2014-2015 West African Ebola virus disease outbreak was unforeseen at its onset and the initial international response was slow. The high mortality and the panic that this outbreak induced had a major effect on health systems. In this article we discuss some of the key public health and clinical lessons from this Ebola outbreak, including combining epidemiology, modelling and anthropology, and the initial evidence for the importance of fluid and antibiotic management.

Keywords: Ebola virus disease; West Africa; control; outbreak; response.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Communicable Diseases, Emerging* / transmission
Disease Outbreaks*
Health Personnel
Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola*
Humans
Infection Control

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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