3. Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. The first EVD outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests, but the most recent outbreak in West Africa has involved major urban as well as rural areas.

9. Update on EVD Epidemiological Situation in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia Epi Week 29 (13 July – 19 July) WHO Country Office, Liberia 24th July 2015

10. Confirmed EVD cases reported in the previous 12 epi weeks, - Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia Sierra Leone Guinea Source: Situation Report WHO Liberia

12. Location and epi status of confirmed cases in Guinea Following epi-investigation Community Deaths PrefectureCases On contact list Epi-link found Unknown source of infection Coyah 22--0 Conakry 13 --0 Forecariah 76-12 Total 2221 (95.5%) -1 (4.5%) 2 (9%)

13. Location and epi status of confirmed cases in Sierra Leone Following epi-investigation Community Deaths DistrictCases On contact list Epi-link found Unknown source of infection Port Loko 22--0 Western Area Urban 21-10 Total 43 (75%) -1 (25%) 0

15. Summary 26 new confirmed cases (previous week - 30) – 22 Guinea, 4 Sierra Leone, 0 Liberia Focus of transmission in capitals Improvements in contact tracing & case investigation 24/26 (92%) cases registered contacts of previous cases 2/26 (8%) unknown source of infection 1/26 unknown source of infection 3 HCW infection – 2 Guinea, 1 Sierra Leone Contacts currently being monitored – Guinea 2832, Sierra Leone - 618 No new cases occurred in districts/prefectures bordering Liberia

16. Infection Prevention and Control

17. To get control of this outbreak, health officials need to be able to go visit the contacts who are being monitored for Ebola. They have to get blood samples to laboratories. They have to be able to transport patients to isolation wards and safely bury anyone who's died of the disease.