title: Ebola epidemic--Liberia, March-October 2014.
abstract: On March 21, 2014, the Guinea Ministry of Health reported the outbreak of an illness characterized by fever, severe diarrhea, vomiting and a high fatality rate (59%), leading to the first known epidemic of Ebola virus disease (Ebola) in West Africa and the largest and longest Ebola epidemic in history. As of November 2, Liberia had reported the largest number of cases (6,525) and deaths (2,697) among the three affected countries of West Africa with ongoing transmission (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone). The response strategy in Liberia has included management of the epidemic through an incident management system (IMS) in which the activities of all partners are coordinated. Within the IMS, key strategies for epidemic control include surveillance, case investigation, laboratory confirmation, contact tracing, safe transportation of persons with suspected Ebola, isolation, infection control within the health care system, community engagement, and safe burial. This report provides a brief overview of the progression of the epidemic in Liberia and summarizes the interventions implemented.
authors.forename: Tolbert
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nyenswah
authors.forename: Miatta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fahnbulleh
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massaquoi
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagbe
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bawo
authors.forename: James Dorbor
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Falla
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kohar
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gasasira
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nabeth
authors.forename: Sheldon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yett
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gergonne
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hensley
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baily
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: Terrence
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lindblade
authors.forename: Josh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mott
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boulanger
authors.forename: Athalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahoney
mesh_terms: D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058872:Epidemics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007988:Liberia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data