Ebola virus disease contact tracing activities, lessons learned and best practices during the Duport Road outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, November 2015.
<h4>Background</h4>Contact tracing is one of the key response activities necessary for halting Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) transmission. Key elements of contact tracing include identification of persons who have been in contact with confirmed EVD cases and careful monitoring for EVD sympto...
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2017-06-01
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| Series: | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005597&type=printable |
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| author | Caitlin M Wolfe Esther L Hamblion Jacqueline Schulte Parker Williams Augustine Koryon Jonathan Enders Varlee Sanor Yatta Wapoe Dash Kwayon David J Blackley Anthony S Laney Emily J Weston Emily K Dokubo Gloria Davies-Wayne Annika Wendland Valerie T S Daw Mehboob Badini Peter Clement Nuha Mahmoud Desmond Williams Alex Gasasira Tolbert G Nyenswah Mosoka Fallah |
| author_facet | Caitlin M Wolfe Esther L Hamblion Jacqueline Schulte Parker Williams Augustine Koryon Jonathan Enders Varlee Sanor Yatta Wapoe Dash Kwayon David J Blackley Anthony S Laney Emily J Weston Emily K Dokubo Gloria Davies-Wayne Annika Wendland Valerie T S Daw Mehboob Badini Peter Clement Nuha Mahmoud Desmond Williams Alex Gasasira Tolbert G Nyenswah Mosoka Fallah |
| author_sort | Caitlin M Wolfe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>Contact tracing is one of the key response activities necessary for halting Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) transmission. Key elements of contact tracing include identification of persons who have been in contact with confirmed EVD cases and careful monitoring for EVD symptoms, but the details of implementation likely influence their effectiveness. In November 2015, several months after a major Ebola outbreak was controlled in Liberia, three members of a family were confirmed positive for EVD in the Duport Road area of Monrovia. The cluster provided an opportunity to implement and evaluate modified approaches to contact tracing.<h4>Methods</h4>The approaches employed for improved contact tracing included classification and risk-based management of identified contacts (including facility based isolation of some high risk contacts, provision of support to persons being monitored, and school-based surveillance for some persons with potential exposure but not listed as contacts), use of phone records to help locate missing contacts, and modifications to data management tools. We recorded details about the implementation of these approaches, report the overall outcomes of the contact tracing efforts and the challenges encountered, and provide recommendations for management of future outbreaks.<h4>Results</h4>165 contacts were identified (with over 150 identified within 48 hours of confirmation of the EVD cases) and all initially missing contacts were located. Contacts were closely monitored and promptly tested if symptomatic; no contacts developed disease. Encountered challenges related to knowledge gaps among contact tracing staff, data management, and coordination of contact tracing activities with efforts to offer Ebola vaccine.<h4>Conclusions</h4>The Duport Road EVD cluster was promptly controlled. Missing contacts were effectively identified, and identified contacts were effectively monitored and rapidly tested. There is a persistent risk of EVD reemergence in Liberia; the experience controlling each cluster can help inform future Ebola control efforts in Liberia and elsewhere. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fa08179c5b4f40a09e4cbcffb27bcccf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1935-2727 1935-2735 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-fa08179c5b4f40a09e4cbcffb27bcccf2025-08-20T03:24:29ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352017-06-01116e000559710.1371/journal.pntd.0005597Ebola virus disease contact tracing activities, lessons learned and best practices during the Duport Road outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, November 2015.Caitlin M WolfeEsther L HamblionJacqueline SchulteParker WilliamsAugustine KoryonJonathan EndersVarlee SanorYatta WapoeDash KwayonDavid J BlackleyAnthony S LaneyEmily J WestonEmily K DokuboGloria Davies-WayneAnnika WendlandValerie T S DawMehboob BadiniPeter ClementNuha MahmoudDesmond WilliamsAlex GasasiraTolbert G NyenswahMosoka Fallah<h4>Background</h4>Contact tracing is one of the key response activities necessary for halting Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) transmission. Key elements of contact tracing include identification of persons who have been in contact with confirmed EVD cases and careful monitoring for EVD symptoms, but the details of implementation likely influence their effectiveness. In November 2015, several months after a major Ebola outbreak was controlled in Liberia, three members of a family were confirmed positive for EVD in the Duport Road area of Monrovia. The cluster provided an opportunity to implement and evaluate modified approaches to contact tracing.<h4>Methods</h4>The approaches employed for improved contact tracing included classification and risk-based management of identified contacts (including facility based isolation of some high risk contacts, provision of support to persons being monitored, and school-based surveillance for some persons with potential exposure but not listed as contacts), use of phone records to help locate missing contacts, and modifications to data management tools. We recorded details about the implementation of these approaches, report the overall outcomes of the contact tracing efforts and the challenges encountered, and provide recommendations for management of future outbreaks.<h4>Results</h4>165 contacts were identified (with over 150 identified within 48 hours of confirmation of the EVD cases) and all initially missing contacts were located. Contacts were closely monitored and promptly tested if symptomatic; no contacts developed disease. Encountered challenges related to knowledge gaps among contact tracing staff, data management, and coordination of contact tracing activities with efforts to offer Ebola vaccine.<h4>Conclusions</h4>The Duport Road EVD cluster was promptly controlled. Missing contacts were effectively identified, and identified contacts were effectively monitored and rapidly tested. There is a persistent risk of EVD reemergence in Liberia; the experience controlling each cluster can help inform future Ebola control efforts in Liberia and elsewhere.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005597&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Caitlin M Wolfe Esther L Hamblion Jacqueline Schulte Parker Williams Augustine Koryon Jonathan Enders Varlee Sanor Yatta Wapoe Dash Kwayon David J Blackley Anthony S Laney Emily J Weston Emily K Dokubo Gloria Davies-Wayne Annika Wendland Valerie T S Daw Mehboob Badini Peter Clement Nuha Mahmoud Desmond Williams Alex Gasasira Tolbert G Nyenswah Mosoka Fallah Ebola virus disease contact tracing activities, lessons learned and best practices during the Duport Road outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, November 2015. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| title | Ebola virus disease contact tracing activities, lessons learned and best practices during the Duport Road outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, November 2015. |
| title_full | Ebola virus disease contact tracing activities, lessons learned and best practices during the Duport Road outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, November 2015. |
| title_fullStr | Ebola virus disease contact tracing activities, lessons learned and best practices during the Duport Road outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, November 2015. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ebola virus disease contact tracing activities, lessons learned and best practices during the Duport Road outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, November 2015. |
| title_short | Ebola virus disease contact tracing activities, lessons learned and best practices during the Duport Road outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, November 2015. |
| title_sort | ebola virus disease contact tracing activities lessons learned and best practices during the duport road outbreak in monrovia liberia november 2015 |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005597&type=printable |
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