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EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - ex AFRICA (37): FALSE ALARMS, MONITORING, QUARANTINE
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Worldwide: suspected imported cases of Ebola, monitoring & quarantines since 9 Nov 2014
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Dates & sources: see below


14 Nov 2014 Gambia: Gambia dismisses Ebola rumours
http://www.jollofnews.com/index.php/nat ... la-rumours

14 Nov 2014 Mali (Bamako): Mali tries to trace over 200 contacts in 2nd Ebola wave; [French] gov't. advises against all but essential travel to Bamako, Kayes
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/ ... 9A20141114
["A WHO spokesman said more than 250 contacts were being traced across 4 locations." - Mod.JW]

15 Nov 2014 Philippines: Peacekeeper [from Liberia] tests negative for Ebola [he has malaria]
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/650838/fil ... -for-ebola

14 Nov 2014 USA (GA): Georgia monitoring [over] 100 travelers from West Africa for Ebola symptoms [was about 170]
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/ge ... la-s/nh7Y2

14 Nov 2014 USA (FL): Florida monitoring 10 individuals returning from Ebola zone
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/v ... -post.html

14 Nov 2014 USA (TX): Dallas County [Texas] monitoring asymptomatic traveler who returned from West Africa
http://healthcare.dmagazine.com/2014/11 ... -for-ebola

14 Nov 2014 USA (RI): "Low-Level" Ebola risk at Providence [Rhode Island] hospital
http://www.wkrg.com/story/27388768/low- ... e-hospital

13 Nov 2014 USA (MA): UMass [University of Massachusetts] Memorial [hospital] adopts strict 21-day monitoring and no-patient-care policy.
http://www.telegram.com/article/2014111 ... 39515/1116
["No patient care" means returning health staff cannot treat US patients for 21 days. - Mod.JW]

13 Nov 2014 USA (IN): Indiana: Woman clear of Ebola monitoring
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/local_ ... 1415928469

13 Nov 2014 USA (NY): New York doctor ends 21-day monitoring following Africa volunteer work
http://wivb.com/2014/11/13/dr-glick-cle ... onitoring/
[The doctor did not return to his hospital work, but he did continue working at his Jericho Road Community Center in Buffalo, New York. 95 per cent of his patients continued to see him. - Mod.JW]

13 Nov 2014 USA (VA): Military begins 1st quarantine-like monitoring in US for Ebola mission troops [in Virginia]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/chec ... on-troops/

12 Nov 2014 USA (MN): 8 people monitored for Ebola in Minnesota are 'unreachable' [out of 56]
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/27 ... nreachable

12 Nov 2014 USA (PA): Pennyslvania monitoring 146 suspected cases of Ebola
http://www.wearecentralpa.com/story/d/s ... mLszvGjA3g

11 Nov 2014 USA (CA): 33 Suspected Ebola cases being monitored [in California]
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/L ... 64841.html

--
communicated by: Celeste Whitlow
<whitlow.celeste@gmail.com>

[Locator map of Gambia at http://sunshineshooters.files.wordpress ... _sepia.jpg. - Mod.JW]

EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - ex AFRICA (38): USA DOCTOR DIES, NEW YORK CITY CLAIMS, SONGS, SCREENING
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this update:
[1] USA: doctor from Sierra Leone dies in Nebraska hospital
[2] USA: doctor's false negative Ebola test
[3] USA: NYC claiming federal reimbursement for Ebola case
[4] Ebola songs for fund-raising & prevention
[5] Thailand
[6] USA: passengers from Mali screened

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[1] USA: doctor from Sierra Leone dies in Nebraska hospital
Date: 17 Nov 2014
Source: Washington Post [edited]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ ... l_national


A surgeon who contracted Ebola while working in his native Sierra Leone has died while being treated in a biocontainment unit at a Nebraska hospital, the facility said Monday [17 Nov 2014].

Nebraska Medical Center said in a news release that [the doctor] died as a result of the disease. "[He] was extremely critical when he arrived here, and unfortunately, despite out best efforts, we weren't able to save him," said Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the biocontainment unit. [The doctor] arrived Sat [15 Nov 2014] to be treated at the Omaha hospital, where 2 other Ebola patients have been successfully treated.

The 44-year-old [doctor] had been working as a general surgeon at Kissy United Methodist Hospital in the Sierra Leone capital of Freetown. It's not clear whether he was involved in the care of Ebola patients. Kissy is not an Ebola treatment unit, but Salia worked in at least 3 other facilities, United Methodist News said, citing health ministry sources. [The doctor], a Sierra Leone citizen who lives in Maryland, 1st showed Ebola symptoms on 6 Nov 2014 but tested negative for the virus. He eventually tested positive on 10 Nov 2014.

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[The State Department said in a statement it had facilitated [the doctor's] evacuation at the request of his wife, who said she had agreed to reimburse the USA for the expense. The United Methodist Church ... is working to set up a fund for donations to help pay for the medical flight, a church spokeswoman said.
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/new-ebola ... 1116-00033. - Mod.JW]

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[2] USA: doctor's false negative Ebola test
Date: 16 Nov 2014
Source: Washington Post [edited]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/a-d ... eve&wpmm=1


When [the doctor's] Ebola test came back negative, his friends and colleagues threw their arms around him. They shook his hand. They patted him on the back. They removed their protective gear and cried. But when his symptoms remained nearly a week later, [he] took another test, on 10 Nov 2014. This one came back positive, sending the Sierra Leonean doctor with ties to Maryland on a desperate, belated quest for treatment and forcing the colleagues who had embraced him into quarantine...

Although the United Methodist hospital where [the doctor] worked doesn't treat Ebola, doctors [there] knew that their patients could be infectious. A woman giving birth, a man complaining of abdominal pain, any of them could be carrying the disease. [The doctor] wore gloves but never the full protective gear used in the country's Ebola wards...

The doctors who tended to him in Freetown appeared to be unaware that an early Ebola test -- taken within the 1st 3 days of the illness -- is often inconclusive. In a country where information about the disease continues to move slowly, it was another potentially tragic mistake. In many cases, a negative test at that stage means nothing because "there aren't enough copies of the virus in the blood for the test to pick up," said Ermias Belay, the head of the CDC's Ebola response team in Sierra Leone...

And now, several other [health workers] who interacted closely with [the doctor] are quarantined [for 21 days]. So far, none are symptomatic. But all are frustrated that their celebration of what appeared to be good news ended this way... - more

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[The lab that performed the 1st test should not be faulted, for the reason given, but the delay before the 2nd test meant that appropriate treatment was not started early enough to save him, and unlike other medevaced patients, he was too weak to walk from the ambulance to the hospital on arrival in the USA. - Mod.JW]

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[3] USA: NYC claiming federal reimbursement for Ebola case
Date: 16 Nov 2014
Source: NY post [edited]
http://nypost.com/2014/11/16/schumer-to ... -treatment


Senator Charles Schumer wants President Obama to pick up New York City's more than USD 20 million tab for treating its 1st Ebola patient.

Since the Big Apple and Bellevue Hospital treated and cured CS of the "infectious disease that is a threat to the nation," the New York lawmaker believes the government should pony up and reimburse the city.

"Last week, CS thankfully returned home healthy and free of Ebola," Schumer said Sunday [16 Nov 2014]. "But the world-class response mounted by New York City and Bellevue HHC was not free, and the bottom line is local communities and local taxpayers should not foot the whole bill for handling an infectious disease that is a threat to the nation."

The senator said that the city and hospital should be compensated in the same way that communities are compensated following a natural disaster. "Moreover, we must make sure that there is funding available in the future for any city that may handle a confirmed Ebola case," he added.

The proposed "Ebola Contingency Fund" would help control the spread of the deadly virus by establishing a way to properly fund states and localities so they can treat patients. This new plan would be modeled after similar funds, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's federal isolation and quarantine fund for tuberculosis within the Division of Global Migration. This fund sets aside USD one million in federal funding for states and localities to treat possible tuberculosis patients and to also contain the disease. The money also ensures that sufficient resources are available at all times in case federal isolation orders are handed down to quarantine a person.

Around 100 healthcare workers were involved in treating CS while he was isolated at Bellevue, Schumer said. In addition, a 24-hour-a-day operation which employed approximately 500 staffers was established by the city's Health Department to keep track of the estimated 300 people who arrive each day from Ebola hotspots in West Africa. As of right now, the entire state of New York is expected to receive USD 14.6 million of the USD 6.1 billion that the President has requested for Ebola funding. The money would only cover "preparedness activities" and would not account for actual costs involving Ebola treatment and activities focused on preventing its spread.

Schumer's planned "Ebola Fund" was launched in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2015 omnibus bill and is set to be considered during the lame duck session [of Congress].

[Byline: Chris Perez]

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[4] Ebola songs for fund-raising & prevention
Date: 17 Nov 2014
Source: Washington Post [edited]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wor ... -christmas


The new recording of Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" already looks set to be a huge hit. Irish singer Bob Geldof, who organized the re-recording to raise funds to fight Ebola, told the BBC on Mon [17 Nov 2014] that pre-sales of the song had been "extraordinary" and had raised millions in just minutes...

Over the years, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" has been the subject of a variety of criticisms, with many people pointing toward the weird, inappropriate lyrics or the patronizing spectacle of so many white, Western artists singing to an amorphous, anonymous group of Africans. And while Geldof has changed the worst of the lyrics for this most recent re-release, there's still only one African artist singing on the track (Angelique Kidjo, a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter from Benin).

There is another option, thankfully, for music fans who worry about Ebola: a song actually written and recorded by West African artists that is also aimed toward a West African audience. Its title? Simply, "Africa Stop Ebola." The track, recorded and released last month [October 2014], has brought together some of the biggest stars from West Africa's rich music scene: Major artists including Ivorian reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly, Mali's afro-pop singer Salif Keita, and Senegalese rapper Didier Awadi are involved. It is, quite frankly, a better song than its Western equivalent. But more importantly, this is not a song vaguely about Africans in peril. The lyrics were written jointly by the artists and Carlos Chirino of SOAS [School of Oriental & African Studies], University of London. They speak directly to the citizens of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone in a mixture of languages, including French and indigenous languages spoken in the region.

You'll find specific and practical advice in the song: The singers advise listeners to wash their hands and listen to doctors, how to deal with the dead, and other issues. In a situation in which misinformation and fear are some of the biggest problems, this is a pertinent message. The song is also raising money for Doctors Without Borders [MSF], one of the nongovernmental organizations on the ground fighting the disease (you can buy the song on iTunes).

"Africa Stop Ebola" is just one of a number of songs about Ebola produced in West Africa. Earlier this summer [2014], Liberian artists F.A., Soul Fresh and DenG released a Hip Co song that included similar advice on how the disease was spread. That song was created in conjunction with UNICEF, but other local artists have produced their own songs without outside input. That's because for these musicians, Ebola isn't some distant, exotic threat: It's a concern in their real lives, and it directly influences their music... - more

See UNICEF-Liberia: Crusaders for Peace Ebola song (Mp3 version) at https://soundcloud.com/unicef-liberia.

[Byline: Adam Taylor]

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[Band Aid 30, the 2014 update of the Band Aid campaign that raised money for [famine in] Ethiopia in 1984, has raised over GBP 1 million (USD 1.5 million) for Ebola within 5 minutes of being launched. The updated version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?," which features One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, and Sam Smith, among others, was recorded in London [UK] on Sat [15 Nov 2014], and the video premiered [on TV] on Sun [16 Nov 2014]'s X Factor http://mashable.com/2014/11/17/band-aid-30-single. - Mod.JW]

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[5] Thailand
Date: 17 Nov 2014
From: Nyles Bauer <nyles314@hotmail.com> [edited]


Surprisingly, there is great concern about Ebola here in Thailand. Not much on TV, but walking through the airport was reminiscent of the time of avian influenza, when I was also in the region, but the concerns far more justified.

--
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[Photo of arrivals, screening, and a poster at Bangkok airport: http://resources2.news.com.au/images/20 ... dcc36d.jpg.

It is encouraging to learn that an Asian country is taking precautions. ProMED would be glad to have firsthand reports from other readers about precautions in other Asian international airports. - Mod.JW]

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[6] USA: passengers from Mali screened
Date: 16 Nov 2014
Source: Yahoo (AP) [edited]
https://news.yahoo.com/us-screen-travel ... 29290.html


Travelers from Mali will be subject to the same screening and monitoring that was ordered for people arriving from 3 other Ebola-affected countries, U.S. health officials said Sunday [16 Nov 2014].

Mali is not suffering widespread Ebola illnesses, but federal officials are growing increasingly worried about a new cluster of 7 illnesses in Mali that have left public health workers scrambling to track and monitor [more than 440] other people who may have had contact with the 7 people and may be at risk.

"At this point, we can't be confident that every exposed person has been identified, or that every identified person is being monitored daily," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC].

Starting Mon [17 Nov 2014], anyone arriving in the USA from Mali will undergo the same screening procedures that were ordered last month [October 2014] for travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. That includes taking arriving travelers' temperatures and questioning them about their health and possible exposure to the Ebola virus. They also will be asked to provide contact information and to agree to have daily communications with local health officials -- for 21 days -- who will be asking them to take their temperatures twice each day and monitoring them to see whether they develop symptoms.

West Africa is currently suffering the worst Ebola epidemic in world history, with at least 14 000 illnesses and more than 5100 deaths so far. Nearly all of the cases have been in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. About 75 people arrive from those 3 countries each day, on average. They are funneled through 5 airports, 2 in New York and one each in Washington, Chicago and Atlanta. In contrast, only about 15 to 20 passengers arrive from Mali to the United States on an average day. The majority end up arriving through the same 5 airports. But in the next few days, steps will be taken to make sure all funnel through those airports, Frieden said... - more

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[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/252.]

EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - ex AFRICA (39): INDIA, WORLDWIDE SUSPECTED OR QUARANTINED
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
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In this update:
[1] India: recovered national quarantined in New Delhi airport
[2] Worldwide: Suspected/quarantined Ebola cases 15-18 Nov 2014

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[1] India: recovered national quarantined in New Delhi airport
Date: 18 Nov 2014
Source: Times of India [edited]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 194610.cms


This is the 1st confirmed case of Ebola in India, though the victim contracted the virus abroad and has already been treated. Officials have quarantined a man who was cured of Ebola in Liberia but continued to show traces of the virus in samples of his semen after arriving in the country, the health ministry said on Tues [18 Nov 2014]. The ministry said in a statement that the Indian national had been shown to be negative for Ebola in tests conforming to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines but had been quarantined as a precautionary measure when he arrived at New Delhi airport on 10 Nov [2014]. Later, tests of his semen detected traces of the virus.

"It is a known fact that, during convalescence from Ebola Virus Disease, persons continue to shed virus in bodily fluids for variable periods," the ministry said. "However, presence of virus in his semen samples may have the possibility of transmitting the disease through the sexual route up to 90 days from time of clinical cure." India has screened thousands of passengers travelling from Ebola-hit West Africa in recent weeks. The Indian man carried with him documents from Liberia that stated he had been cured. He will be kept in quarantine until the virus is no longer present in his body, and will undergo tests over the next 10 days or so, a senior health ministry official said. "It is not an Ebola case; he is an Ebola-treated patient who is negative in blood but whose body fluid is positive. He has no symptoms," the official said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter...

Many experts say densely populated India is not adequately prepared to handle any spread of the highly infectious haemorrhagic fever among its 1.2 billion people. Government health services are overburdened, and many people in rural areas struggle to get access to even basic health services. Hygiene standards are low, especially in smaller towns and villages, and defecating and urinating in the open are common.

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[Correction: the New York Times version of this report says ebolavirus is present in urine for 3 months after recovery from the disease. This is incorrect. Regarding semen: "Men should wear condoms during sexual contact for at least 3 months after recovery from Ebola," see: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/messages/en.

But "Sexual transmission of Ebola has never been reported." See: US CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmissi ... cid=cs_284, and if it had in fact occurred during the many earlier outbreaks in Africa, one would have expected sporadic cases in women to have been reported after those outbreaks were over. They are apparently proposing to test his semen at periodic intervals until it turns negative, so he may have to stay in the airport quarantine quarters for weeks. If the test used only detects ebolavirus RNA, there may in fact be no live virus present. - Mod.JW]

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[2] Worldwide: Suspected/quarantined Ebola cases 15-18 Nov 2014
Date: 18 Nov 2014
Sources: see below


[See WHO definition of a suspected case at end. - Mod.JW]

15 Nov 201411 Brazil (Caruaru:) Patient is diagnosed with the flu; was suspected Ebola
http://g1.globo.com/pe/caruaru-regiao/n ... ebola.html [in Portuguese]

17 Nov 2014 Greece (Athens): Suspected Ebola case reported on ship off Greece
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news ... 370e0.html

18 Nov 2014 UK (England): Man tests negative for Ebola at Hereford County Hospital
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-he ... r-30098188

17 Nov 2014 USA (TX): Houston patient causes brief Ebola scare [not suspected, so not tested]
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas ... 899664.php

15 Nov 2014 USA (CA): Stanford physician emerges from 21-day Ebola quarantine [no symptoms]
http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-co ... rom-21-day

17 Nov 2014 USA (Vermont): Ebola-free, Vermont man leaves quarantine
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/stor ... /19190627/

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WHO Case definition recommendations for Ebola or Marburg Virus Diseases
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http://www.who.int/csr/resources/public ... act-en.pdf

"3a: Case definition to be used by mobile teams or health stations and health centres

SUSPECTED CASE:
Any person, alive or dead, suffering or having suffered from a sudden onset of high fever and having had contact with:

- a suspected, probable or confirmed Ebola or Marburg case;
- a dead or sick animal (for Ebola)
- a mine (for Marburg) [because of bats being the reservoir host - Mod.JW]

OR: any person with sudden onset of high fever and at least 3 of the following symptoms:
- headache
- vomiting
- anorexia/loss of appetite
- diarrhea
- lethargy
- stomach pain
- aching muscles or joints difficulty swallowing
- breathing difficulties
- hiccups

OR: any person with inexplicable bleeding

OR: any sudden, inexplicable death."

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[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/142.]

EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - ex AFRICA (40): USA ZMAPP, COST, UK ROYALS, INDIA PREVENTION
**********************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this update:
[1] USA: doctor from Sierra Leone was treated with ZMapp, plasma
[2] USA: cost of treatment
[3] UK: Royal family speaks out on Ebola & malaria
[4] India: preventive measures at 24 airports

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[1] USA: doctor from Sierra Leone was treated with ZMapp, plasma
Date: 17 Nov 2014
Source: ABC News [edited]
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ebola-stri ... d=26964778


The latest Ebola patient flown the United States for treatment died today [17 Nov 2014] despite receiving 2 experimental treatments: the drug ZMapp and a blood transfusion from an Ebola survivor, officials with Nebraska Medical Center said. [The doctor], who contracted Ebola in Africa, was the 3rd patient treated for the virus at the medical center in Omaha, but the only one to have died...

The surgeon was treating patients in Sierra Leone when he contracted the virus. He was not treating Ebola patients, and officials do not know how he contracted the deadly virus. He initially tested negative on 6 Nov 2014, but tested positive for the virus on 10 Nov 2014. He was flown from Sierra Leone and arrived in Nebraska on Sat [15 Nov 2014].

The biocontainment unit's director, Dr. Phil Smith, said S. was in "very critical condition" when he arrived. S. had no kidney function, had difficulty breathing, and was unresponsive at that time, said the hospital's chief of critical care, Dr. Dan Johnson. Doctors put him on dialysis, intubated him and put him on a mechanical ventilation device. They also gave him blood pressure medication, but he went into cardiac arrest.

Mapp Pharmaceutical, the company that makes ZMapp, provided the drug. The supply of the experimental drug had been exhausted months earlier. An unnamed Ebola survivor provided plasma...

[The doctor], 44, was a permanent resident in the U.S. and married to a U.S. citizen. He was a native of Sierra Leone.

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[ZMapp has evidently become available again, but just like so many other Africans in Sierra Leone, he started his treatment too late in the course of the disease. - Mod.JW]

******
[2] USA: cost of treatment
Date: Tue 18 Nov 2014
Source: NBC News [edited]
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola- ... ts-n250986


It cost more than USD one million to treat 2 patients sent to the Nebraska Medical Center, a hospital official testified on Tues [18 Nov 2014], and it's still not clear who will pay the bill and how. It's the 1st on-the-record estimate of what it has cost to treat Ebola patients in the United States.

So far, 10 people have been treated on U.S. soil; most recently, [a doctor] who died Mon 17 Nov 2014]... - more

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[3] UK: Royal family speaks out on Ebola & malaria
Date: 19 Nov 2014
Source: Daily Mail [edited]
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... laria.html


The Queen has asked "piercing" questions about how the disease ought to be controlled. She is worried that Ebola is overshadowing risks from diseases like malaria.

Ebola has claimed 5000 lives. Malaria kills the same number every week.

[Byline: Francesca Infante]

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[Prince William recorded an emotional message about Ebola; see the link to the video in above report. - Mod.JW]

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[4] India: preventive measures at 24 airports
Date: 19 Nov 2014
Source: Times of India [edited]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 203302.cms


A day after the 1st Ebola case was reported in India, Health Minister JP Nadda on Wed [19 Nov 2014] said arrangements similar to the ones at Delhi airport that helped detect the virus in a man returning from Liberia have been put in place at 24 airports. Nadda stressed that the situation was under "complete control"... - more

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[Presumably, this means that any adult male who survived Ebola, even with a certificate showing his blood is negative for the virus, is now required to provide a semen sample on arrival, and if positive, will be quarantined until the test turns negative. - Mod.JW

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/142.]

EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - ex AFRICA (41): INDIA, SUSPECTED, DONORS, SPANISH COURSE
******************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this update:
[1] India: fears Ebola positive man spread virus
[2] Ebola case definitions updated
[3] Worldwide: suspected, monitoring & quarantine list
[4] Worldwide: donor comparison tables
[5] Peru: online course in Spanish on Surveillance, Prevention and Control of Ebola

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[1] India: fears Ebola positive man spread virus
Date: Thu 20 Nov 2014
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 210667.cms


Doctors sweat over whether Ebola positive man spread virus
----------------------------------------------------------
Days after the semen sample of a man tested positive for Ebola on his arrival in the capital [New Delhi] from Liberia, there are concerns that the virus may have skipped the safety check. Health authorities are worried that if other secretion samples of the Indian such as sweat, urine, etc., test positive for Ebola, chances are that the deadly virus may have spread to those travelling on the same flight, including flight attendants who may have come in direct contact with him.

After the semen samples of the 26-year-old who travelled last week tested positive, his other secretions and body fluids have been sent for testing at National Centre for Disease Control, official sources said. The man has been kept in isolation at the Airport Health Organisation's quarantine centre. The blood samples of the man have tested negative.

Personnel from the health and civil aviation ministries are now also monitoring other passengers who travelled in the same flight from Liberia, said an official.... -- more

[Byline: Sushmi Dey]

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[The chances of a passenger on the same flight coming into contact with the sweat or urine of the passenger in question were vanishingly small, but the Indian authorities are to be commended on their "better safe than sorry" approach. - Mod.JW

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of India is available at http://healthmap.org/promed/p/142.]

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[2] Ebola case definitions updated
Date: Wed 19 Nov 2014
From: Jagila Wesley <jagila@gmail.com> [edited]


I am a faithful subscriber to ProMED and a big fan of your updates. I just wanted to write to point out that the WHO case definition listed [in ProMED Ebola virus disease - ex Africa (39): India, worldwide susp. or quarantined 20141118.2966874] are specific to WHO-AFRO region (http://www.who.int/csr/resources/public ... act-en.pdf).

If read as they stand, it can be assumed that any person with influenza-like symptoms in the USA is a suspected Ebola case even without positive contact history or travel history. This would trigger mass pandemonium in a country like the USA where the probability of having Ebola is very, very low, versus in parts of the world like the affected countries in West Africa where case probability is high. I think it is important to frame the information as accurately as possible while presenting it. Thank you, and I look forward to more updates.

--
Jagila Wesley
<jagila@gmail.com>

[ProMED thanks Jagila for pointing this out. I searched for "ebola case definition" on the WHO Geneva website (http://www.who.int) and what they show is that AFRO region definition. Perhaps because of what she has pointed out, both WHO and CDC have stopped using "suspected". WHO has been using "Case Under Investigation" since September 2014 (http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/1066 ... g.pdf?ua=1), and since 16 Nov 2014, CDC only has 2 categories: "Person Under Investigation (PUI)" and Confirmed (http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/case-definition.html)
-- but the media still use the word "suspected". - Mod.JW]

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[3] Worldwide: suspected, monitoring & quarantine list
Date: Thu 20 Nov 2014
Sources: see below


18 Nov 2014 Germany (Berlin): In Berlin, hospitalized patients with suspected Ebola
http://goo.gl/iMEjBL

18 Nov 2014 Philippines: Philippines slammed for 'breach' of Ebola quarantine
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/philippi ... -1.1414109

[General not wearing PPE blamed for "rubbing elbows" with a Filipino soldier in quarantine. Unwarranted scare reaction. - Mod.JW]

18 Nov 2014 USA (Arizona): Arpaio welcomes detention officer after 21-day Ebola quarantine
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/loc ... /19237471/

19 Nov 2014 USA (NYC): Woman's Remains in New York Test Negative for Ebola
https://time.com/3593818/ebola-new-york ... -negative/

19 Nov 2014 USA (Texas): Patient at Ben Taub tests negative for Ebola
http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/20 ... /19241715/

20 Nov 2014 USA (Missouri): Patient Being Evaluated for Ebola at Jefferson County Hospital [low risk]
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/11/20/ ... -hospital/
[Communicated by: Celeste Whitlow <celeste.ebola@gmail.com>]

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[4] Worldwide: donor comparison tables
http://www.one.org/international/ebola- ... y-23754=on


[The URL above takes you to the statistics for the USA. Clicking on the boxes in the shaded column on the right provides figures for other countries for comparison. Extensive explanatory footnotes are below the table. As a UK/US dual national, I was interested to note that although the UK has pledged much more of its gross national income (GNI) than the USA, the USA has to date distributed twice the amount in cash that the UK has. - Mod.JW]

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[5] Peru: online course in Spanish on Surveillance, Prevention and Control of Ebola
Date: Thu 20 Nov 2014
Source: General Directorate of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health of Peru
http://www.dge.gob.pe/aula/epi/ [in Spanish]


The General Directorate of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health of Peru offers the self-instructive Virtual Course "Surveillance, Prevention and Control of Ebola Virus Disease" to be held from 23 Nov to 22 Dec this year [2014]; the deadline [to enroll] is [today, 20 Nov 2014].

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EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - ex AFRICA (42): PAHO EBOLA MANAGER, SUSPECTED-MONITORING-QUARANTINE LIST
**********************************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this update:
[1] PAHO appoints Canadian Ronald St. John as Ebola incident manager
[2] Worldwide: suspected, monitoring & quarantine list

******
[1] PAHO appoints Canadian Ronald St. John as Ebola incident manager
Date: Tue 18 Nov 2014
Source: Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) [edited]
http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option ... 26&lang=en


PAHO appoints Canadian Ronald St. John as Ebola incident manager
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Director of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, has appointed Dr. Ronald St. John, an infectious disease expert who led Canada's SARS response, as incident manager for PAHO/WHO's coordinated response to Ebola.

PAHO/WHO is providing support to countries in the Americas to prepare for the possible introduction of Ebola in the region. The goal is to ensure the early detection of any imported case and effective containment to prevent its spread. To date, no cases of Ebola have been reported in Latin America or the Caribbean.

A Canadian citizen, St. John is a board-certified physician in preventive medicine, with post-graduate training in infectious diseases and public health. He has 35 years of experience -- including 9 as a program coordinator and division chief at PAHO/WHO -- in public health programs, legislation, and policy development. He has participated in emergency preparedness and response to communicable diseases, including SARS and HIV, in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and countries outside the Americas.

At PAHO/WHO, St. John will oversee the incident management system, established in the Organization's Institutional Response to Emergencies and Disasters plan. He will lead a team of PAHO/WHO experts and coordinate Ebola preparedness actions in PAHO member countries and with institutional partners.

Within this framework, PAHO/WHO is mobilizing expert alert and response teams starting this month [November 2014] to work with Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean to prepare for the potential introduction of cases of Ebola virus disease.... -- more

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[This is excellent news. Ron is a no-nonsense public health administrator who has already been quoted on ProMED pointing out the futility of airport screening on arrival as currently practiced worldwide -- see ProMED-mail post Ebola virus disease - ex Africa (09): WHO, Spain, Australia, Canada, USA 20141009.2848352. He advocates instead screening on departure from West African airports and screening at hospitals if symptomatic on or after arrival overseas. - Mod.JW]

******
[2] Worldwide: suspected, monitoring & quarantine list
Date: Fri 21 Nov 2014
Sources: see below


21 Nov 2014 Fiji: Fiji officers [peacekeepers] to self-monitor for Ebola [ex Liberia]
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/ ... -for-ebola

21 Nov 2014 Ghana: Fisher folk to be monitored under 'in place' Ebola Surveillance system
http://www.spyghana.com/fisher-folks-gh ... ce-system/

19 Nov 2014 Greece: Pinoy [Filipino] seafarer with Ebola symptoms cleared
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/38 ... ms-cleared

21 Nov 2014 India: 7 More Airports in India on Ebola Alert, Say Health Ministry Sources
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/seven ... ces-624033

20 Nov 2014 India: Health Ministry tells overseas countries to quarantine Indians with suspected Ebola for 3 months
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/in ... onths.html

20 Nov 2014 India (Gujarat): Gujarat still free from Ebola, 65 suspect passengers being tracked in state [255 original suspects cleared, 65 remain under surveillance]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 215307.cms

21 Nov 2014 Liberia: Firestone forces families of dead Ebola victims to leave homes on Liberian plantation [at least 57 people died there] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ation.html

20 Nov 2014 North Korea: Rich merchants exempt from Ebola quarantine
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php ... Id=nk01500

21 Nov 2014 Philippines: Ebola survivor [Liberian doctor] backs DOH's quarantine protocol for PHL peacekeepers
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/38 ... acekeepers

21 Nov 2014 Spain: Ebola scare: Spanish aid worker repatriated [woman doctor from Mali; needlestick]
http://www.thelocal.es/20141121/spanish-aid-worker

20 Nov 2014 USA (NYC): Brooklyn man tests negative for Ebola
http://online.wsj.com/articles/person-b ... 1416510745

17 Nov 2014 USA (Oregon): Jackson County resident ending ebola monitoring this week
http://kobi5.com/news/item/jackson-coun ... -week.html

19 Nov 2014 USA (Oregon): 8 in Oregon being monitored [low risk]
http://www.thenewsguard.com/news_paid/a ... b65d8.html

19 Nov 2014 USA (Iowa): At least one Black Hawk Co. resident monitored for Ebola symptoms
http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-a ... c32d2.html

19 Nov 2014 USA (Texas): 69 US Troops Quarantined, 1 Monitored for Ebola After West Africa Trip [21 quarantined, 1 closely monitored]
http://schnizzle.biz/49705/69-us-troops ... rica-trip/

19 Nov 2014 USA (Pennsylvania): Holiday Travel Raising Ebola Concerns
http://www.wearecentralpa.com/story/d/s ... 6_zTN6b9KQ

19 Nov 2014 USA (Utah): Health officials have monitored 5 West Africa travelers in Utah [3 still monitored]
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8656 ... -Utah.html

20 Nov 2014 USA (Texas): Hood officials brief Gatesville about monitoring
http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=14724

20 Nov 2014 USA (Vermont): Vermont officials monitoring 2 people for Ebola [low risk]
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/stor ... /70024612/

21 Nov 2014 USA (Missouri): Initial tests show Jefferson County nurse does not have Ebola [in isolation pending results of 2nd test]
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news ... s-not.html

21 Nov 2014 USA (NY): Ebola Ruled Out for Philly Hospital Patient
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/loc ... 76911.html

[Compiled by: Celeste Whitlow <celeste.ebola@gmail.com>]

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EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - ex AFRICA (43): UN WORKER RELEASED, INDIA, MASKS, SUSPECTS
********************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this update:
[1] France: UN worker discharged from hospital
[2] India: Surprise checks on ports & airports
[3] UK: Military masks could help fight Ebola
[4] Precautions
[5] Suspected, monitoring, quarantine list

******
[1] France: UN worker discharged from hospital
Date: Sun 23 Nov 2014
Source: Reuters [edited]
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/ ... FR20141123


A U.N. health worker was discharged from a French hospital on Sun 23 Nov 2014 and left the country after recovering from Ebola, the French Health Ministry said in a statement. The U.N. worker, whose name and nationality have not been disclosed, had been flown to France from Sierra Leone and was in isolation at the Begin military hospital in the eastern Paris suburb of Saint-Mande.

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******
[2] India: Surprise checks on ports & airports
Date: Sun 23 Nov 2014
Source: Times of India [edited]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 245409.cms


Senior health ministry officials will conduct surprise inspections of designated ports, airports as well as hospitals and laboratories across the country to review passenger screenings and preparedness to deal with Ebola virus. Principal secretaries of different states met the Union health secretary recently to discuss measures already taken and those required to strengthen surveillance at various entry points. The health ministry informed states that a team of experts from the Centre will soon start visiting various designated ports and airports for an on-the-spot assessment of the measures, an official said.

State health departments have been asked to keep a strict vigil. "We have asked the states to keep a tab of the situation and identify gaps in screening as well as facilities and inform us regularly in case any facilitations are required," he said. The health ministry is also planning to train and sensitise private doctors and para medical staff at leading hospitals to deal with any suspected Ebola patient. "As states have now trained master trainers, they were asked to conduct training of district rapid response teams," the official said. The government is also planning to conduct mock drills involving airports and isolation facilities, particularly on donning and taking off personal protective gear by personnel... - more

[Byline Sushmi Dey]

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******
[3] UK: Military masks could help fight Ebola
Date: 22 Nov 2014
Source: Telegraph [edited]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... ebola.html


Avon is investigating how its expertise could help medics tackling deadly Ebola. The technology that allows soldiers to fight on for hours while under chemical attack could be used to help combat the deadly ebolavirus, according to British company Avon Rubber.

The company, whose protection unit produces gas masks used by more than 50 militaries to keep troops safe from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) contamination, says it is beginning to see enquiries from governments about how its products could be used... - more

[Byline: Alan Tovey]

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******
[4] Precautions

Africa: Ebola affects soccer's Africa Cup of Nations
--------------------------------------
22 Nov 2014 (LA Times) In the last 2 weeks, former African champion Morocco was expelled from the continent's most important tournament; Equatorial Guinea was reinstated after being kicked out for using an ineligible player in qualifying; and Cuba, which once sent combat troops to Africa, will now be sending doctors to combat Ebola at next year's [2015] Africa Cup of Nations... - more
http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la ... story.html

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USA: Ebola virus caused cancellation of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" filming in Morocco
------------------------------------------
22 Nov 2014 (Techtimes): Warner Bros has chosen to film "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" in New Mexico instead of Morocco due to concerns over the deadly Ebola virus... - more
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/20751 ... orocco.htm

[Morocco has not reported a case of Ebola, but it is a transit point for flights both north and south from West Africa. - Mod.JW]

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******
[5] Suspected, monitoring, quarantine list
Date: 23 Nov 2014
Sources: see below


23 Nov 2014 Denmark: Ebola scare, Norway airline grounds flight.
http://www.thelocal.no/20141123/norwegi ... bola-scare

23 Nov 2014 France: U.N. worker leaves hospital after Ebola recovery.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/ ... FR20141123

22 Nov 2014 Ghana: Ebola investigation comes out negative [120 tested].
http://vibeghana.com/2014/11/22/ebola-i ... -negative/

23 Nov 2014 India (New Dehli): Surprise checks on airports, ports for Ebola preparedness.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 245409.cms

21 Nov 2014 Italy: 1st troops secluded after return from Ebola mission released.
http://www.stripes.com/first-troops-sec ... d-1.315390

23 Nov 2014 USA (Ohio): 2 Columbus children being Ebola tested at Nationwide Children's Hospital [in isolation, low risk].
http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/201 ... ebola.html

21 Nov 2014 USA (Texas): Pentagon: US soldier cleared after showing Ebola symptoms [low risk, tested negative, returns to 21-day monitoring].
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014 ... a-Symptoms

[Compiled by: Celeste Whitlow <celeste.ebola@gmail.com>]

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EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - ex AFRICA (44): UN WORKER RECOVERY, PAKISTAN, UK, SUSPECTED LIST
***************************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this update:
[1] UN worker leaves French hospital after Ebola recovery
[2] Pakistan: prevention, WHO team
[3] UK: no guarantee of repatriation if volunteers get Ebola
[4] Suspected, monitoring, quarantine list

*******
[1] UN worker leaves French hospital after Ebola recovery
Date: 23 Nov 2014
Source: Scientific American (Reuters) [edited]
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... -recovery/


A UN health worker was discharged from a French hospital on Sun [23 Nov 2014] and left the country after recovering from Ebola, the French Health Ministry said in a statement. The UN worker, whose name and nationality have not been disclosed, had been flown to France from Sierra Leone and was in isolation at the Begin military hospital in the eastern Paris suburb of Saint-Mande.... - more
[by Ingrid Melander]
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*******
[2] Pakistan: prevention, WHO team
Date: 25 Nov 2014
Source: Dawn [edited]
http://www.dawn.com/news/1146723/who-te ... inst-ebola


WHO team to assess measures against Ebola
----------------------------------------------------------
ISLAMABAD: A World Health Organization mission arrived on Mon [24 Nov 2014] to assess arrangements made by the government to keep Ebola virus out of the country. During its stay for a week, the mission will visit Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi airports and other entry points. It will assess arrangements to deal with an affected person arriving in the country... According to WHO Country Head Michel Torres, 5 members of the team arrived on Monday and 3 are expected on Tue [25 Nov 2014]. He said his team would assess patient and hospital safety and steps taken at airports and other entry points to stop the virus from entering the country.

Mr Torres said he had been informed that the government had taken steps, but his team would analyse whether standard operating procedures were being followed. An official of the Ministry of National Health Services said the assessment would identify gaps in preparedness and the response plan made by health departments in case the virus entering Pakistan... - more
[By Ikram Junaidi]
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[This is an excellent initiative by WHO. - Mod.JW]


*******
[3] UK: no guarantee of repatriation if volunteers get Ebola
Date: 25 Nov 2014
Source: Telegraph [edited]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... teers.html


The UK government is planning to despatch up to 1500 NHS volunteers to the west African nation over coming months, as part of a GBP125 million aid programme that a force of 800 British troops began rolling out last month [October 2014].

But officials have refused to guarantee that any medic who catches the virus will be flown back to Britain for treatment, insisting that most cases can be dealt by a British army clinic that has been set up in the capital, Freetown.

The ruling has caused disquiet among some medics, who point out that the British army facility is not equipped with either kidney dialysis machines or artificial lungs [ventilators], both of which could be necessary for treatment of anyone with advanced Ebola symptoms.
They say the government should instead offer automatic repatriation for any medical worker as soon as they test positive for Ebola. At present, the Government says it will repatriate only on a "case by case" basis, which the medics suspect is a get-out clause to avoid public panic about Ebola coming to the UK.... - more
[By Colin Freeman]
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*******
[4] Suspected, monitoring, quarantine list

25 Nov 2014 Liberia: Liberia--Ebola Outbreak in Popo Beach Quelled, Active Case Finders Say
http://allafrica.com/stories/201411251708.html

25 Nov 2014 Liberia: Liberia Ebola: Bank manager, driver quarantined
http://en.starafrica.com/news/liberia-e ... tined.html

24 Nov 2014 Pakistan (ex-Togo): First suspected Ebola case emerges in Pakistan
http://tribune.com.pk/story/796395/firs ... -pakistan/
[Togo has no reported any case of Ebola to date. This patient has since died and his specimens are still under test http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asi ... 92554.html - Mod.JW]

25 Nov 2014 Thailand: Sierra Leone man found [he had escaped monitoring]
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... -man-found

24 Nov 2014 USA (Iowa): African travelers back in Iowa subject to Ebola monitoring
http://qctimes.com/news/local/african-t ... 79c5a.html

23 Nov 2014 USA USA (Kentucky): Airmen Return to Louisville from Ebola Relief Efforts in West Africa [will be monitored]
http://wkms.org/post/airmen-return-loui ... est-africa

23 Nov 2014 USA (Ohio): UPDATE: 2 Columbus girls test negative for Ebola
http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/oh ... /19447325/

23 Nov 2014 USA (Texas): Dallas County monitoring 13 for Ebola [low risk]
http://outbreaknewstoday.com/dallas-cou ... ola-20658/

24 Nov 2014 USA (South Carolina): DHEC monitoring 9 in South Carolina for possible Ebola symptoms
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/2 ... a-symptoms

23 Nov 2014 USA (Utah): Health officials have monitored 5 West Africa travelers in Utah [3 still monitored]
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=324231 ... rs-in-utah
24 Nov 2014 USA (Virginia): 7 Marines deployed to Liberia back in U.S., under monitoring
http://www.wnct.com/story/27471401/7-ma ... monitoring

25 Nov 2014 USA (Maryland): Md. to monitor fliers from Ebola-stricken countries
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/ ... %257c%257c

24 Nov 2014 USA (N.Carolina): Alamance County Ebola monitoring ends; no disease found [5 low-risk cases]
http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/top-ne ... d-1.405479

<25 Nov 2014 USA (N.Carolina): Ebola Exposure Monitoring in Buncombe County [2 people]
http://www.wlos.com/news/features/top-s ... HTMnmfG9TI

24 Nov 2014 USA (S.Carolina): DHEC monitoring 9 in South Carolina for potential Ebola symptoms
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/2 ... a-symptoms

25 Nov 2014 USA (Washington): Soldiers in Ebola quarantine at Lewis-McChord
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military ... /70092774/
--
[Compiled by: Celeste Whitlow <celeste.ebola@gmail.com>]

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EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - ex AFRICA (45): SOUTH KOREA, GERMAN PLANE, CANADA, US AIRPORTS
************************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this update:
[1] South Koreans to go to EU if infected in Sierra Leone
[2] Germany: Ebola evacuation plane unveiled
[3] Canada: 40 military to treat health-care workers
[4] USA: NYC & Newark airports quiet

*******
[1] South Koreans to go to EU if infected in Sierra Leone
Date: Wed 26 Nov 2014
Source: Reuters [edited]
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/ ... L920141126


Britain to fly South Korean medical workers to Europe if infected fighting Ebola
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South Korea said on Wed [26 Nov 2014] that Britain had agreed to evacuate for treatment any South Korean medical workers who may be infected with Ebola virus while working at a British-run clinic in Sierra Leone.

Seoul will send a team of 10 medical workers next month [December 2014] to work at the new treatment center in Goderich, outside the capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown where they will join British and American volunteer personnel.

Under an agreement with Britain, an EU-operated plane will fly any infected South Korean medical worker to any of a pool of EU hospitals equipped to treat Ebola for treatment as if the person was a citizen of any EU state, its foreign ministry said.

Australia announced a similar agreement with Britain earlier this month [November 2014] in which London had given assurances that any Australian staff infected with Ebola would be treated as if they were a British citizen. Canberra had raised concerns that any medical staff infected with the disease would not have access to treatment and would face a dangerous 30-hour evacuation flight home.
[By Jack Kim and Jeremy Laurence]
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*******
[2] Germany: Ebola evacuation plane unveiled
Date: 27 Nov 2014
Source: Deutsche Welle [edited]
http://www.dw.de/germany-unveils-ebola- ... a-18092535


Germany unveils Ebola evacuation plane in Berlin
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The 1st Airbus refitted to serve as an Ebola evacuation plane has been unveiled in the German capital, Berlin. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he hopes to see it seldom used...

The machine is nearly 64 meters (210 feet) long, and its passenger seats and the rest of the cabin interior were removed and replaced by a "patient transportation isolation unit."
Inside the specially-built airtight tent, an Ebola patient can be cared for to the same extent as in intensive care at hospital, without pathogens escaping and endangering the rest of the crew. The aircraft can also accommodate up to 19 attendants, including technicians for special equipment, officials and doctors.
Lufthansa said that more than 700 pilots and flight attendants have volunteered to work as crew aboard the Ebola Airbus... - more
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[The isolation unit is fully described at http://www.dw.de/transporting-ebola-pat ... a-18082952. - Mod.JW]


*******
[3] Canada: 40 military to treat health-care workers
Date: 27 Nov 2014
Source: CBC Canada [edited]
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ebola-o ... -1.2852392


Canada calls for volunteers to fight Ebola in Africa
------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada is offering 40 military personnel and an additional CAN20.9 million to help fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, while calling for health-care workers willing to "join the fight" against the disease in West Africa.

"Today, I'm issuing a call to action to Canadian health-care workers to travel to West Africa to care for Ebola patients in Ebola treatment centres in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea," Health Minister Rona Ambrose said at a news conference in Ottawa Thu [27 Nov 2014]. Ambrose said the need is for doctors, nurses, psychological and social support workers, water and sanitation engineers and infection prevention and control workers.

Ambrose pledged the government would support Canadians willing to undertake an 8-week commitment in Africa, including maintaining full pay and benefits for federal workers who volunteer. The 8 weeks include one week of training, 4 weeks in the field and 3 weeks recovery, Ambrose said. The government has an evacuation plan in place after recently signing an agreement with 2 commercial companies, she added. "We have resolved the medevac issue. We didn't feel it was responsible for us to be encouraging people to go to West Africa until we felt very comfortable with the medical evacuation options for Canadians. We feel comfortable with that now," Ambrose said in response to reporters' questions.

Military will treat health workers
------------------------------------------
The Department of National Defence will send Canadian Forces health-care and support staff to Sierra Leone for up to 6 months. The Canadian military doctors, nurses and medics will be stationed with personnel from the United Kingdom at the Kerry Town Treatment Unit, treating health-care workers who have been exposed to the deadly virus. Defence Minister Rob Nicholson acknowledged the 40 Canadian Forces personnel will not be treating the general population. "According to the information we have in our discussions, there was a need for [personnel to treat health workers] and we've been in discussion with the British, and so we indicated that we would supply that service," Nicholson told reporters.

The CAN20.9 million will be given to 10 humanitarian organizations:
- For treatment and psychological support
- To help local communities cope with the outbreak
- To train medical personnel and emergency experts who will be deployed to the region.
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*******
[4] USA: NYC & Newark airports quiet
Date: Sun 23 Nov 2014
Source: NY Times [edited]
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/nyreg ... .html?_r=1


Notable absence of new Ebola quarantines at New York area airports
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A day after CS, a doctor who had returned from Guinea about a week earlier became the 1st Ebola case in New York, the governors of New York and New Jersey announced that they would begin quarantining travellers who had been in contact with Ebola patients in West Africa. The move, which went beyond federal policy, drew protests from medical aid groups and the Obama administration, which said it would penalize people who were trying to contain Ebola and discourage others from doing so.
But since Kaci Hickox, a nurse, flew into Newark airport on Fri 24 Oct 2014 and was kept at a hospital for 3 days, no one else has been caught up in the quarantine dragnet at the New York and New Jersey airports. The absence of quarantines is striking, not only because both governors emphatically defended the policy as a necessary precaution, but also because most people returning from Ebola-stricken countries arrive in the United States through Kennedy and Newark Liberty International Airports. Several aid organizations have American health care workers in West Africa, a handful of whom return every week. But New York and New Jersey officials say no one coming through the 2 airports since Ms. Hickox has reported direct contact with Ebola patients...

Possible explanations, based on interviews with several doctors who served in West Africa and the organizations they worked with, are that health care workers are delaying their returns to the United States, or they are deliberately avoiding the 2 airports if they have been exposed to Ebola patients in the 21 days before arrival, which could subject them to quarantine. A New York-based doctor with AmeriCares said that he and some colleagues were planning to spend 3 weeks in Europe after their tours, to avoid coming home to a quarantine in the United States. Doctors Without Borders [MSF] workers have sometimes done the same thing, Tim Shenk, a spokesman, said... - more
[By Anemona Harticollis]
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[Let's hope none of those brave health workers falls ill with Ebola after arriving in Europe, or elsewhere in the USA. - Mod.JW

[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/8854.]

Die dritte Ebolapanne im US Seuchenzentrum:

Proben verwechselt: Ebola-Verdacht nach Panne bei US-Seuchenschutzbehörde

Die US-Seuchenbehörde CDC hat sich erneut eine schwere Panne geleistet: Mitarbeiter haben sich möglicherweise mit dem Ebola-Virus infiziert, weil in einem Labor Proben verwechselt wurden.

Atlanta - Die Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gehören zu den renommiertesten Seuchenschutzbehörden der Welt - doch dieser Ruf nimmt derzeit erheblichen Schaden. Jetzt wurde bekannt, dass ein Mitarbeiter sich möglicherweise mit Ebola infiziert hat, als er während eines Versuchs in Kontakt mit dem Virus kam. Es ist bereits der dritte schwerwiegende Zwischenfall in der US-Behörde binnen weniger Monate. mehr...

Grüsse
Alexander

Es gibt wieder einen Ebola Fall, der Fragen im Bezug auf ausreichende Sicherheitsmaßnahmen aufwirft. Dieses Mal in Großbritanien.

Infizierte Helferin konnte ungehindert einreisen

Schottin konnte einreisen, obwohl sie selbst Ansteckung befürchtete

Die schottische Krankenschwester, die sich bei einem Hilfseinsatz in Sierra Leone mit Ebola infiziert hat, wird mittlerweile in einer Londoner Spezialklinik behandelt. Auch wenn die Gefahr, dass sich andere Personen bei ihr angesteckt haben könnten, als sehr gering eingeschätzt wird, stellt ihr Fall doch in Frage, ob die Sicherheitsmaßnahmen der britischen Gesundheitsbehörden ausreichen. Speziell die Überprüfung von medizinischen Helfern, die aus Ebola-Gebieten zurückkehren, wird von Experten kritisiert mehr...

und

Ebola-Fall in Großbritannien: Patientin in Londoner Klinik verlegt

Grüsse
Alexander