This article covers the timeline of the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa and its outbreaks elsewhere. Flag icons denote the first announcements of confirmed cases by the respective nation-states, their first deaths, and their first secondary transmissions, as well as relevant sessions and announcements of agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders; medical evacuations, visa restrictions, border closures, quarantines, court rulings, and possible cases of zoonosis are also included.
Timeline
Take note that the date of the first confirmations of the disease or any event in a country may be before or after the date of the events in local time because of the International Dateline.
December 2013 Guinea Researchers believe that a 2-year-old boy was the index case of the current Ebola virus disease epidemic. He died in December 2013 in the village of Meliandou, Guéckédou Prefecture. His mother, sister, and grandmother then became ill with similar symptoms and also died. Although Ebola represents a significant public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa and was documented in Tai Forest chimpanzees, only one case had been reported in humans in West Africa. With this background and in the context of poor public health systems, the early cases were mis-diagnosed as diseases more common to the area. Thus Ebola virus disease spread for several months before it was recognized as such. In late October 2014, the child was identified as Emile Ouamouno. A tree was later identified in the area where children were known to play with insect-eating Angolan free-tailed bats and hunting and grilling them to eat. Contact with these bats, which are well-known Ebola reservoirs, may have been the immediate cause of the outbreak, though this remains speculative.
March 2014
Guinea On March 18 Guinean health officials announce the outbreak of a mysterious hemorrhagic fever "which strikes like lightning." 35 cases are reported, and at least 23 people died. On March 22, Guinea confirms the fever as Ebola, with 59 possible fatalities. Liberia On March 24, two suspected cases in Liberia are announced by the Liberian Ministries of Information, Culture, Tourism, and Health. The government had also stated that Ebola had 'crossed over into Liberia,' but did not confirm the information. Médecins Sans Frontières On March 24, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) establish an isolation center in Guéckédou Prefecture, Guinea, the first in West Africa to be built expressly for the purpose of halting the epidemic. United Nations On March 25, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its first report concerning Ebola in West Africa, wherein it is stated that thirteen Guinean cases from four districts of the country were confirmed by the Institut Pasteur and the Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie in Lyon. Mauritania Since 26 March, Mauritania closed all crossings along the Senegal River, the natural border between Mauritania and Senegal, except for the Rosso and Diama points of entry. Liberia On March 27, the government of Liberia revised its statement from March 24 stating that Ebola was not present within the country -a later report from the WHO reversed the country's position a second time. Senegal On March 28 Senegal closed its border with Guinea in an effort to halt the virus from spreading. Liberia On March 31 the first cases of EVD are confirmed in Liberia, in two patients in Lofa and Nimba counties -they had been the subject of a March 24 press report on EVD mentioned previously. The patient in Lofa County died on the day of her diagnosis, becoming the first death in Liberia. United States On March 31, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a five-person team to Guinea for the purpose of aiding the Guinean Ministry of Health and the WHO in containing the outbreak. United Nations By the end of March, the WHO announced that there had been 112 cases and 70 deaths due to Ebola overall (including suspected cases.) Two confirmed cases originated in Liberia, and several suspected cases were reported from Sierra Leone and Liberia.
April 2014 Mali On April 7, six suspected cases were announced by Mali but were later confirmed as not being related to EVD. Liberia On April 12, new cases were reported in Margibi and Montserrado counties, raising the total number of counties holding patients with EVD to four. Guinea On April 30, Guinea's Ministry of Health reported 221 suspected and confirmed cases as well as 146 deaths in Guinea alone. Of the 221, 26 were health workers. United Nations By the end of April, WHO statistics showed 239 cases and 160 deaths overall.
May 2014 Guinea On May 12, cases were reported in Conakry, the capital of Guinea and a city with a population of around two million people. Sierra Leone On May 26 WHO reports the first cases and deaths in Sierra Leone, in Kailahun District. They are traced back to the funeral of a widely respected traditional healer from Kailahun who had contracted the disease after treating Ebola patients from across the border in Guinea. United Nations By the end of May, WHO statistics showed 383 cases and 211 deaths overall.
June 2014
Sierra Leone On June 11, Sierra Leone closed its borders with Liberia and Guinea and closed a number of schools around the country. On 30 July, the government began to deploy troops to enforce quarantines. Liberia On June 17, Liberia reports that EVD has reached its capital, Monrovia. Sierra Leone On June 20, the WHO announces up to 158 cases in Sierra Leone. In addition to Kailahun District, cases were also reported in Kenema, Kambia, Port Loko, and Western Area Rural districts. Médecins Sans Frontières On June 21, Doctors Without Borders declares the second wave of the outbreak "totally out of control" and calls for massive resources. United Nations By the end of June, WHO statistics showed 779 cases and 481 deaths overall.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
