Travel and Border Health Measures to Prevent the International Spread of Ebola

Cohen, Nicole J.

doi:10.15585/mmwr.su6503a9

Cited by 65 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The highest number of malaria cases reported since 1985 occurred in 2011, with 1,925 cases, whereas an average of 1,718 annual cases were reported during 2012–2014. The decrease in cases in 2015 correlates with the decrease in cases imported from West Africa (see Region of Acquisition and Diagnosis) and could be related to altered travel because of the Ebola epidemic ( 33 , 34 ). Since 1973, the overall trend has been an increasing number of malaria cases, with an average gain of 27.8 cases per year (R 2 = 0.695) (Figure 1).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…WHO declared Ebola in West Africa to be a public health emergency of international concern on August 8, 2014, and provided recommendations for emergency management, including guidance for screening persons traveling at international airports ( 33 ). CDC issued travel warnings ( 47 ) and in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection initiated enhanced risk assessment and management procedures for travelers from the Ebola-affected countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia ( 34 ). Collectively, malaria cases imported into the United States in 2015 from the Ebola-affected countries decreased by 6.8 percentage points.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Malaria Surveillance — United States, 2015

Mace

Arguin

Tan

2018

MMWR Surveill. Summ.

214

124

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Problem/ConditionMalaria in humans is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. These parasites are transmitted by the bite of an infective female Anopheles species mosquito. The majority of malaria infections in the United States occur among persons who have traveled to regions with ongoing malaria transmission. However, malaria is occasionally acquired by persons who have not traveled out of the country through exposure to infected blood products, congenital transmission, laboratory exposure, or local mosquitoborne transmission. Malaria surveillance in the United States is conducted to provide information on its occurrence (e.g., temporal, geographic, and demographic), guide prevention and treatment recommendations for travelers and patients, and facilitate transmission control measures if locally acquired cases are identified.Period CoveredThis report summarizes confirmed malaria cases in persons with onset of illness in 2015 and summarizes trends in previous years.Description of SystemMalaria cases diagnosed by blood film microscopy, polymerase chain reaction, or rapid diagnostic tests are reported to local and state health departments by health care providers or laboratory staff members. Case investigations are conducted by local and state health departments, and reports are transmitted to CDC through the National Malaria Surveillance System (NMSS), the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), or direct CDC consultations. CDC reference laboratories provide diagnostic assistance and conduct antimalarial drug resistance marker testing on blood samples submitted by health care providers or local or state health departments. This report summarizes data from the integration of all NMSS and NNDSS cases, CDC reference laboratory reports, and CDC clinical consultations.ResultsCDC received reports of 1,517 confirmed malaria cases, including one congenital case, with an onset of symptoms in 2015 among persons who received their diagnoses in the United States. Although the number of malaria cases diagnosed in the United States has been increasing since the mid-1970s, the number of cases decreased by 208 from 2014 to 2015. Among the regions of acquisition (Africa, West Africa, Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Oceania, and the Middle East), the only region with significantly fewer imported cases in 2015 compared with 2014 was West Africa (781 versus 969). Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae were identified in 67.4%, 11.7%, 4.1%, and 3.1% of cases, respectively. Less than 1% of patients were infected by two species. The infecting species was unreported or undetermined in 12.9% of cases. CDC provided diagnostic assistance for 13.1% of patients with confirmed cases and tested 15.0% of P. falciparum specimens for antimalarial resistance markers. Of the U.S. resident patients who reported purpose of travel, 68.4% were visiting friends or relatives. A lower proportion of U.S. residents with malaria reported taking any chemoprophylaxis in 2015 (26.5...

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Malaria Surveillance — United States, 2015

Mace

Arguin

Tan

2018

MMWR Surveill. Summ.

214

124

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…During the 2014 EVD epidemic, many countries hastily instituted policies that limited travel to and from EVD-affected countries. Some countries closed land and air borders with Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone [39,40], and others, including Australia and Canada, temporarily refused to issue visas to travelers from affected countries [41], a policy not aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO)'s IHR. The USA imposed enhanced screening procedures that measured the temperature of returned travelers from affected countries for up to 3 weeks.…”

Section: Ebola Virusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Mobility and the Global Spread of Infectious Diseases: A Focus on Air Travel

Findlater

Bogoch

2018

Trends in Parasitology

239

168

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Greater human mobility, largely driven by air travel, is leading to an increase in the frequency and reach of infectious disease epidemics. Air travel can rapidly connect any two points on the planet, and this has the potential to cause swift and broad dissemination of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases that may pose a threat to global health security. Investments to strengthen surveillance, build robust early-warning systems, improve predictive models, and coordinate public health responses may help to prevent, detect, and respond to new infectious disease epidemics.

show abstract

“…During epidemics, rumours, gossip, and unreliable information on the news and social media spread rapidly, resulting in so-called 'infodemics' [38]. The West African Ebola epidemic was covered widely by media [39], and the fear of Ebola reached every corner of the world, exemplified by travel bans from affected countries, and trade barriers [40], in contrast to the ongoing epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo [41,42]. In our second theme, trust, doubt, and fear of health workers were represented.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Tiny Iceland’ preparing for Ebola in a globalized world

Gunnlaugsson

Hauksdóttir

Bygbjerg

et al. 2019

Global Health Action

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background : The Ebola epidemic in West Africa caused global fear and stirred up worldwide preparedness activities in countries sharing borders with those affected, and in geographically far-away countries such as Iceland. Objective : To describe and analyse Ebola preparedness activities within the Icelandic healthcare system, and to explore the perspectives and experiences of managers and frontline health workers. Methods : A qualitative case study, based on semi-structured interviews with 21 staff members in the national Ebola Treatment Team, Emergency Room at Landspitali University Hospital, and managers of the response team. Results : Contextual factors such as culture and demography influenced preparedness, and contributed to the positive state of mind of participants, and ingenuity in using available resources for preparedness. While participants believed they were ready to take on the task of Ebola, they also had doubts about the chances of Ebola ever reaching Iceland. Yet, factors such as fear of Ebola and the perceived stigma associated with caring for a potentially infected Ebola patient, influenced the preparation process and resulted in plans for specific precautions by staff to secure the safety of their families. There were also concerns about the teamwork and lack of commitment by some during training. Being a ‘tiny’ nation was seen as both an asset and a weakness in the preparation process. Honest information sharing and scenario-based training contributed to increased confidence amongst participants in the response plans. Conclusions : Communication and training were important for preparedness of health staff in Iceland, in order to receive, admit, and treat a patient suspected of having Ebola, while doubts prevailed on staff capacity to properly do so. For optimal preparedness, likely scenarios for future global security health threats need to be repeatedly enacted, and areas plagued by poverty and fragile healthcare systems require global support.

show abstract

Travel and Border Health Measures to Prevent the International Spread of Ebola

Cited by 65 publications

References 6 publications

Malaria Surveillance — United States, 2015

Malaria Surveillance — United States, 2015

Human Mobility and the Global Spread of Infectious Diseases: A Focus on Air Travel

‘Tiny Iceland’ preparing for Ebola in a globalized world

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About