SUMMARY
There were 3 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in the week to 16 August, all of which were reported from Guinea. For the first time since the beginning of the outbreak in Sierra Leone, a full epidemiological week has passed with no confirmed cases reported from the country. Overall case incidence has held at 3 confirmed cases per week for 3 consecutive weeks. In addition, the number of contacts under observation has halved from over 1600 on 9 August to approximately 800 throughout 3 Guinean prefectures and 3 districts in Sierra Leone on 16 August. Almost 600 contacts in Tonkolili, Sierra Leone, completed the 21-day follow-up period on 14 August, accounting for most of the decline in the number of contacts under followup. However, there is still a significant risk of further transmission. In addition to the large number of contacts who remain under observation in Guinea and Sierra Leone, 45 contacts have been lost to follow-up in the Guinean capital Conakry over the past 6 weeks. Several high-risk contacts have also been lost to follow-up in the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown. Rapid-response teams remain alert and ready to respond to further cases.
All of the 3 confirmed cases reported from Guinea in the week to 16 August are registered contacts, and are now receiving treatment in Ebola treatment centres. Two cases were reported from the Matam area of the capital, Conakry. Both cases were relatives and registered contacts of the single case reported from the Ratoma area of the city in the previous week (week ending 9 August). The remaining case was reported from the sub-prefecture of Moussayah in Forecariah. The case is a relative and registered contact of the case reported from the same sub-prefecture during the previous week. The origin of the previous week’s case remains under investigation. 796 contacts remain under follow-up in 3 western prefectures in Guinea (Conakry, Coyah, and Forecariah), compared with 927 contacts in 4 prefectures the previous week. All contacts previously under observation in the prefecture of Kindia have now completed the 21-day follow-up period.
No new cases were reported from Liberia in the week to 16 August. All contacts in Liberia have now completed their 21-day follow-up period. The last 2 patients with EVD in Liberia were discharged after completing treatment and testing negative for EVD for a second time on 23 July. No cases were reported from Sierra Leone in the week to 16 August: the first week without a reported case since the onset of the outbreak in the country. A total of 72 contacts remain under follow-up across 3 districts (Tonkolili, Western Area Urban, and Western Area Rural), all of whom are associated with the Western Area Urban (Freetown) chain of transmission. All contacts associated with the recent cluster of cases in Tonkolili will complete the 21-day follow-up period on 23 August.
For the third consecutive week no health worker infections were reported from any of the affected countries. There have been a total of 880 confirmed health worker infections reported from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone since the start of the outbreak, with 512 reported deaths.