New cases of Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea

18 Mar 2016

(There is a more current update posted here)

WHO has announced that two people, a mother and her 5 year old son, have tested positive for Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Guinea on 17 March. Diagnosis of the two individuals follows investigation of 3 unexplained deaths in the village of Koropara, Nzérékoré Prefecture.

WHO and the Guinean Ministry of Health have deployed a team of scientists, healthcare workers, contact tracers and social mobilizers in response to the infection. They will investigate the origin of the infections and identify, isolate, vaccinate and monitor contacts of the cases and the earlier unexplained deaths.

Guinea’s National Emergency Response Centre will meet on 18 March to coordinate the ongoing response to the re-emergence of EVD. Human to human transmission of EVD was previously declared at an end on 29 December 2015.

(Via WHO statement - accessed 18/03/16)

Advice for Travellers

The risk of travellers becoming infected or developing Ebola haemorrhagic fever is extremely low, unless there has been direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of dead or living infected persons or animals. Healthcare workers are at particular risk, although practising appropriate infection control should effectively prevent transmission of disease in this setting.

Travellers returning from tropical countries should always seek rapid medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, diarrhoea or general malaise) within three weeks after return, and be reminded to mention to their health care provider that they have recently travelled.