CDC confirms Ebola

[Rocky Baker]

Here are some excerpts from the last days email on the PROMED 
listserver  (program for the monitoring of emerging diseases):



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Re: EBOLA - ZAIRE  CONFIRMATION
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Source: NBC News, 18:45 hrs EST

CDC has confirmed that the cause is Ebola virus.

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Excerpts from Lawrence K. Altman, New York Times, 10 May 1995

"...experts said that such symptoms can be caused by a wide range of other infections, including 
shigellosis and toxic strains of E.coli bacteria. More than a dozen blood samples from victims 
in Zaire arrived yesterday at the Centers for Disease Control [& Prevention], where scientists 
began testing for a wide variety of infectious agents."

"No results of tests were available last night, Dr Clarence J.Peters, an expert in hemorrhagic 
fever viruses at the disease centers, said in an interview."

"Dr James W. LeDuc, an expert in hemorrhagic fevers at the World Health Organization, said in an 
interview that his agency had received word on Sunday from its regional office in Brazzaville, 
Congo, that at least 72 people were infected and 56 had died..........There was an unconfirmed 
report that the outbreak may involve two sites.  One of the Italian nuns apparently went to 
another, unidentified city for medical care, where she died.  Her doctor is now reported to be 
ill with a similar disease, Dr Le Duc said."

FROM OTHER NEWS REPORTS:

WHO has issued a statement that since 1 January 1995 there have been 189 cases and 59 deaths in 
an outbreak of bloody diarrhea and 33 cases of suspected hemorrhagic fever.

All vaccination programmes in the region have been suspended, because contaminated syringes were 
implicated in the spread of the Ebola outbreak in Zaire in 1976.

The army has placed the city of Kikwit (pop. 600 000) under quarantine as of Tuesday 9 May.

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Re: EBOLA - ZAIRE 5/10/95
=====================================

Below is a Health Canada Situation Report issued on May 10, 1995, in regards to the diarrhoeal 
disease outbreak in Kikwit, Zaire.


Health Canada Situation Report

>From January to April 1995, WHO has been informed of 189 cases
of diarrhoeal disease with 55 fatalities in the city of Kikwit, Bandunu Province, Zaire (600 km 
South east of Kinshasa).  The aetiology of
this outbreak is unknown, although there have been reports of Ebola Virus as a possible cause 
based solely on clinical suspicion. Biological samples from cases have been forwarded to the 
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Belgium for confirmation of the 
diagnosis.  WHO is coordinating a field investigation with participation by CDC, South Africa 
and France's Institute Pasteur.

In the absence of a confirmed diagnosis, there is no need to alter current immigration or travel 
clearance procedures or public laboratory procedures.

No diagnostic specimens can be legally imported into Canada without an importation permit.  No 
Canadian laboratories should accept specimens shipped directly from Zaire for diagnostic 
testing.  

The Canadian Contingency Plan for the care of persons with suspected viral hemorrahagic fevers 
has been updated and should be
activated in the unlikely event that an ill person with a recent travel history to Africa 
presents with symptoms suggesting such an illness. The draft document does not reflect the most 
recent comments and revisions suggested by provincial authorities, but it has been
modified slightly (pp 15-16, May 10, 1995) specifically for this situation only. 

The Canadian Contingency Plan is available from the Health Canada Health Information Net 
Bulletin Board System (HIN BBS) via Telnet: hpb1.hwc.ca  (login: hpbnet);  via Gopher at: 
hpb1.hwc.ca:7200; and via World Wide Web at:  http://hpb1.hwc.ca:8300/. 


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