The total number of probable, confirmed and suspected cases in the current West Africa Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak as of 28 September 2014 is 7,178, with 3,338 deaths according to the health ministries of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
This is a leap from 6553 (probable, confirmed and suspected) cases and 3083 deaths reported as of Sept. 23.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the upward epidemic trend continues in Sierra Leone and most probably also in Liberia. By contrast, the situation in Guinea appears to be more stable, though it must be emphasized that in the context of an outbreak of EVD, a stable pattern of transmission is still of grave concern, and could change quickly.
Much needed assistance with case confirmation is in the form of two US Navy mobile laboratories that have now arrived in Liberia. One team will be based in Gbarnga (Bong county), with the other based in Montserrado (the district containing the capital, Monrovia). Both teams will be operational by 5 October.
In Sierra Leone, the Chinese mobile laboratory team based in Freetown started testing samples on 29 September 2014, with a testing capacity of 20 samples per day. All other mobile laboratories in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia remain functional and are operating at full capacity. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
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