Assignment For Health Geography Research A Plague Epidemic

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Ebola Epidemic
The largest epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) was experienced between December 2013 and April 2016 where it recorded more than 28,000 cases with more than 11,000 deaths in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Studying this epidemic in the West African countries has led to an understanding of the disease and generation of insights into its control. However, despite knowing the geographic distribution of this epidemic, the transmission or diffusion methods from animals and survivors over a wide area of West Africa is still unpredictable. Until this is established, any future outbreaks will have to be addressed the way this other outbreaks have been controlled. This includes, extensive surveillance, detection, contact tracing, isolation of the patients, proper and supportive clinical care, extensive efforts aimed at preventing and controlling the infection, safe burial and community involvement. Empirical studies that were conducted during the outbreaks have revealed that such epidemics can be prevented with a rapid response that will interrupt the transmission rate, but the big question is how health personnel and services are prepared for future outbreaks.
History and Geographic Distribution
There have been 23 Ebola outbreaks in West Africa since the 1970s. The 2013-2016 epidemic was the largest one to have been recorded in history where it is reported that the first human case involved a 2-year-old boy from Meliandou village in Gueckedou which is a forested area in southeastern Guinea (World Health Organization). An investigation carried on the death of the boy revealed that he fall sick on 26 December 2013 and died two days later. The cause of the infection is believed to be Zaire ebolavirus species whose origin is still unknown but scientists have said that it is likely to originate from an animal, possibly a bat.
Despite the first infection being from an animal, subsequent cases were as a result of human-to-human transmission. In all the outbreaks, the main transmission mode was direct personal contact with the blood or any body fluid from an infected person. By early March 2014, the infection had spread into neighboring regions of Gueckedou (Kissidougou and Macenta) and by 10th March 2014, cases of the infections were reported in the capital city of Guenea-Conakry. There occurred massive transmission rates in Guinea between 10th March and April that resulted in more than 150 new cases and due to lack of interventions, the infection became more entrenched in Guinea. This allowed to spread farther and faster within the country and beyond its boundaries to other countries. Towards the end of March, the infection was reported in the counties of Lofa and Margibi in Liberia and Kailahun district in eastern Sierra Leone in May 2014.
Although the first infection originated in Guinea, rapid infections occurred in Sierra Leone and Liberia followed by Nzerekore in Guinea. Despite having a large number of people crossing the western border between Guinea and Sierra Leone, incidences of Ebola infections were synchronized within Guinean prefectures but this was not done in the adjacent district of Kambia in Sierra Leone. This led to the transmission of the infection across nation...