In an invited perspective article on the Ebola outbreak under way in West Africa, Heinz Feldmann, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) emphasizes the need for scientists to make their data available to colleagues in real-time to improve the public health response to outbreaks. He cites past responses to influenza and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreaks as successful examples of global information sharing. Rapid diagnoses are key to controlling outbreaks of deadly viruses such as Ebola, for which no therapies are available. The immediate availability of viral gene sequencing data, for example, can reduce waiting times for test results and help to determine whether established test methods will work or fail.
Dr. Feldmann conducts research on Ebola and other hemorrhagic fever viruses at NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Among other suggestions, he recommends that medical and public health staff in and near locations known to be endemic for Ebola be trained to assess infection risks and diagnose disease. Enhancing the capabilities of local laboratory workers would make test results available more rapidly by eliminating the need to ship samples to distant reference laboratories.
Dr. Feldmann and his NIAID colleague David Safronetz, Ph.D., explored this regional diagnostic approach while working with Malian health researchers and officials in April, after the nation reported 12 suspected Ebola cases. The NIAID group worked at the International Center for Excellence in Research, a partnership between NIAID and Mali's University of Bamako, where they observed isolation procedures and showed local physicians how to handle Ebola specimens and test for disease. All of the suspected cases in Mali tested negative.
Explore further: Death toll in Ebola outbreak rises to 121 (Update)
More information: H. Feldmann. Ebola—A Surprise in West Africa? New England Journal of Medicine DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1405314 (2014).
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Death toll in Ebola outbreak rises to 121 (Update)
Apr 15, 2014
An outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has been linked to the deaths of more than 120 people, according to the latest World Health Organization count.
Ebola toll rises to 74 in Guinea
Apr 29, 2014
Guinea said Tuesday 74 people had died so far this year in one of the worst ever outbreaks of the Ebola virus.
Mali remains free of deadly Ebola epidemic
Apr 15, 2014
Mali said on Tuesday it was clear of the Ebola epidemic suspected to be behind around 130 deaths this year in Guinea and Liberia.
Ebola-linked deaths in West Africa rise over 100
Apr 08, 2014
Officials say more than 100 people have died in an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, where the disease may have infected as many as 175 people.
Mali reports three suspected Ebola cases (Update)
Apr 04, 2014
Mali said Thursday it had detected three suspected victims of Ebola, the deadly disease that has killed 84 people in Guinea.
Recommended for you
Study suggests improved survivorship in the aftermath of the medieval Black Death
10 seconds ago
Human mortality and survival may have improved in the generations following the Black Death, according to results published May 7, 2014, in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Sharon DeWitte from University of South Caroli ...
Malaria severity not determined solely by parasite levels in blood
12 seconds ago
Although malaria kills some 600,000 African children each year, most cases of the mosquito-borne parasitic disease in children are mild. Repeated infection does generate some immunity, and episodes of severe malaria are unusual ...
Scientists focus on role of ventilation in preventing tuberculosis transmission
13 seconds ago
Scientists studying the role of room ventilation in tuberculosis transmission found that students in Cape Town, South Africa, spend almost 60 percent of their day in poorly ventilated rooms, at risk of transmission, ...
Study finds rising incidence of acute pancreatitis in hospitalized children
15 seconds ago
The largest investigation to date has found a significant increase in the number of acute pancreatitis (AP) cases in hospitalized children in the United States.
Image-guided peritoneal dialysis catheter placement significantly reduces complications
41 minutes ago
Patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis catheter placement via fluoroscopy and ultrasound-guidance experienced significantly fewer complications at 1 year post-insertion than did patients whose catheters were placed laparoscopically.
Resurgence of measles in US brings children pain and suffering
7 hours ago
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. is seeing the largest outbreak of measles in decades. In 2000 the disease was considered eliminated from the country thanks to vaccines, but a combination ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
In an invited perspective article on the Ebola outbreak under way in West Africa, Heinz Feldmann, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) emphasizes the need for scientists to make their data available to colleagues in real-time to improve the public health response to outbreaks. He cites past responses to influenza and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreaks as successful examples of global information sharing. Rapid diagnoses are key to controlling outbreaks of deadly viruses such as Ebola, for which no therapies are available. The immediate availability of viral gene sequencing data, for example, can reduce waiting times for test results and help to determine whether established test methods will work or fail.
Dr. Feldmann conducts research on Ebola and other hemorrhagic fever viruses at NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Among other suggestions, he recommends that medical and public health staff in and near locations known to be endemic for Ebola be trained to assess infection risks and diagnose disease. Enhancing the capabilities of local laboratory workers would make test results available more rapidly by eliminating the need to ship samples to distant reference laboratories.
Dr. Feldmann and his NIAID colleague David Safronetz, Ph.D., explored this regional diagnostic approach while working with Malian health researchers and officials in April, after the nation reported 12 suspected Ebola cases. The NIAID group worked at the International Center for Excellence in Research, a partnership between NIAID and Mali's University of Bamako, where they observed isolation procedures and showed local physicians how to handle Ebola specimens and test for disease. All of the suspected cases in Mali tested negative.
Explore further: Death toll in Ebola outbreak rises to 121 (Update)
More information: H. Feldmann. Ebola—A Surprise in West Africa? New England Journal of Medicine DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1405314 (2014).
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Death toll in Ebola outbreak rises to 121 (Update)
Apr 15, 2014
An outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has been linked to the deaths of more than 120 people, according to the latest World Health Organization count.
Ebola toll rises to 74 in Guinea
Apr 29, 2014
Guinea said Tuesday 74 people had died so far this year in one of the worst ever outbreaks of the Ebola virus.
Mali remains free of deadly Ebola epidemic
Apr 15, 2014
Mali said on Tuesday it was clear of the Ebola epidemic suspected to be behind around 130 deaths this year in Guinea and Liberia.
Ebola-linked deaths in West Africa rise over 100
Apr 08, 2014
Officials say more than 100 people have died in an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, where the disease may have infected as many as 175 people.
Mali reports three suspected Ebola cases (Update)
Apr 04, 2014
Mali said Thursday it had detected three suspected victims of Ebola, the deadly disease that has killed 84 people in Guinea.
Recommended for you
Study suggests improved survivorship in the aftermath of the medieval Black Death
10 seconds ago
Human mortality and survival may have improved in the generations following the Black Death, according to results published May 7, 2014, in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Sharon DeWitte from University of South Caroli ...
Malaria severity not determined solely by parasite levels in blood
12 seconds ago
Although malaria kills some 600,000 African children each year, most cases of the mosquito-borne parasitic disease in children are mild. Repeated infection does generate some immunity, and episodes of severe malaria are unusual ...
Scientists focus on role of ventilation in preventing tuberculosis transmission
13 seconds ago
Scientists studying the role of room ventilation in tuberculosis transmission found that students in Cape Town, South Africa, spend almost 60 percent of their day in poorly ventilated rooms, at risk of transmission, ...
Study finds rising incidence of acute pancreatitis in hospitalized children
15 seconds ago
The largest investigation to date has found a significant increase in the number of acute pancreatitis (AP) cases in hospitalized children in the United States.
Image-guided peritoneal dialysis catheter placement significantly reduces complications
41 minutes ago
Patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis catheter placement via fluoroscopy and ultrasound-guidance experienced significantly fewer complications at 1 year post-insertion than did patients whose catheters were placed laparoscopically.
Resurgence of measles in US brings children pain and suffering
7 hours ago
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. is seeing the largest outbreak of measles in decades. In 2000 the disease was considered eliminated from the country thanks to vaccines, but a combination ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
0 comments:
Post a Comment