title: Twenty-one days of isolation: A prospective observational cohort study of an Ebola-exposed hot zone community in Liberia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As West Africa continues to suffer from a deadly Ebola epidemic, the national health sectors struggle to minimize the damages and stop the spread of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of inhabitants of a small village and an Ebola hot zone in Sinoe County of Liberia was followed on a day-by-day basis to search for new cases and to minimize the spread of Ebola to the other community members or to other regions. Technical, clinical, and humanistic aspects of the response are discussed in this report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 22 confirmed Ebola cases in Sinoe County since the beginning of outbreak (June 16, 2014), 7 cases were inhabitants of Polay Town, a small village 5.5 miles east of Greenville, the Sinoe County capital. After the last wave of outbreak at the beginning of December, enhanced response activity provided essential coordination and mobilized the resources to stop the epidemic. Despite unprotected contacts in crowded houses, no new cases were detected among the contact families, or in the surrounding houses or communities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strong national mobilization in a decentralized but harmonized system at the community level has been of great value in controlling the epidemic in Liberia. The major interventions include epidemiological surveillance, public information dissemination, effective communication, case management, and infection control.
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization - Liberia Mission, Liberia.
authors.forename: George Sie
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization - Liberia Mission, Liberia.
authors.forename: Jeremias
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Naiene
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, Liberia.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gayflor
authors.affiliation: African Union-ASEOWA Liberia, Liberia.
authors.forename: Theophil
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Malibiche
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization - Liberia Mission, Liberia.
authors.forename: Bentoe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zoogley
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, Liberia.
authors.forename: Wimot G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency-Liberia Mission, Sweden; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University Hospital, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden. Electronic address: fariba.nayeri@regionostergotland.se.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nayeri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D007988:Liberia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Ebola exposed community; Isolation; Response