In two separate articles published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, VHFC researchers from Nigeria and Sierra Leone provide key insights into the Ebola outbreak response that took place during the 2013-2016 Ebola epidemic.
In An Outbreak of Ebola in the Lassa Fever Zone, Goba et al. describe how Sierra Leonean laboratory staff successfully diagnosed the first case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the country in May 2014. Staff at the Kenema Government Hospital have years of experience diagnosing and treating patients with Lassa fever, a similar viral hemorrhagic fever. The emergence of Ebola in West Africa highlights the need for continued investment in the development of countermeasures, infrastructure, and human resources, in an area with two hemorrhagic fever viruses.
Additionally, in Ebola Virus Epidemiology and Evolution in Nigeria, Folarin et al. discuss the clinical data and contact information that was collected during the limited outbreak of EVD that took place in Nigeria. The paper describes the unique nature of the EVD outbreak in Nigeria, with reconstruction of the complete transmission chain using viral genomics and contact tracing data.