Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreaks in Gabon, 1994–1997: Epidemiologic and Health Control Issues

Abstract

From the end of 1994 to the beginning of 1995, 49 patients with hemorrhagic symptoms were hospitalized in the Makokou General Hospital in northeastern Gabon. Yellow fever (YF) virus was first diagnosed in serum by use of polymerase chain reaction followed by blotting, and a vaccination campaign was immediately instituted. The epidemic, known as the fall 1994 epidemic, ended 6 weeks later. However, some aspects of this epidemic were atypical of YF infection, so a retrospective check for other etiologic agents was undertaken. Ebola (EBO) virus was found to be present concomitantly with YF virus in the epidemic. Two other epidemics (spring and fall 1996) occurred in the same province. GP and L genes of EBO virus isolates from all three epidemics were partially sequenced, which showed a difference of õ0.1% in the base pairs. Sequencing also showed that all isolates were very similar to subtype Zaire EBO virus isolates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Analytical Validation of the ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test for Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Ebola Virus Infection

“…Following the initial animal-to-human transmission event, EBOV has demonstrated considerable capability for human-to-human transmission [3,4]. EVD clinical manifestations can easily be confused with those of other endemic febrile illnesses, including malaria, typhoid fever, and Lassa fever, where misdiagnosis can lead to fatal consequences [5][6][7][8].…”

Chiropteran and Filoviruses in Africa: Unveiling an ancient history

“…Later, the Swiss ethnologist's infection with Ebolavirus was related to a chimpanzee she was autopsying (Le Guenno et al,1995). Similarly, the 1996 Mayibout outbreak in Gabon originated from children who found and butchered a chimpanzee in the forest (Georges et al, 1999). Similar sources have been reported for Marburg virus which caused the 1967 outbreak in Marburg and Belgrade linked to the handling of organs and tissues of C. aethiops monkeys imported from Uganda (Smith et al, 1967;Martini, 1969).…”

“…epidemics occurred between 1994-1997, after a silent period of 15 years; a first case was linked to a chimpanzee autopsied by a Swiss ethnologist in Ivory Coast, West Africa, and was attributed to a new strain, CIEBOV. The Kikwit epidemic (DRC), Mekouka, Mayibout and Booue (Gabon) were due to ZEBOV reemergence (Amblard et al, 1997;Georges et al, 1999). The source was a deep forest gold-mining camp, suggesting that workers of the mine entered the reservoir/vectors biota.…”

Nososcomial transmission of viral haemorrhagic fever in South Africa

“…Although he denied knowledge of an Ebola outbreak in Gabon, it was determined that he had treated a patient from Booué, the epicentre of the epidemic. [5] Little was known about Ebola at the time, and even experts in the field were uncertain as to the mode of transmission. It was presumed usually to be via contact with body fluids, but airborne transmission was considered possible, as breathable 0.8 -1.0 -2.0 µm droplets had been documented to be highly infectious to rhesus monkeys exposed to the Reston and Zaire strains of Ebola virus in laboratory conditions.…”